Which Trip with Mike Ball?

[Mixxa]

Hi All!

I am a bit of a planner so I'm already looking ahead to my trip to Australia in June 2016. I had some friends do a liveaboard trip with Mike Ball and they absolutely loved it so I'd like to do the same. My issue is, I can't decide which trip to take. I've nearly read their entire website and I checked the boat schedule to see which trips coincide with my trip, but I still can't decide. I hope the lovely people here on ScubaBoard can help me out. The two I'm trying to decide between are the 7 day Coral Sea trip and the 7 day Minke whale trip. I think the idea of sharing the sea with whales is very exciting, however, I can't get a good idea of how the diving is for the rest of the trip. From what I've read, the best spots on these trips are places like Osprey and others in the Coral sea. I can't really tell if the Minke trip goes out to the coral sea or not. I am sure there is incredible diving in the ribbon reefs and elsewhere, but if the trade off is whales or coral sea, which is the better of two great options? As you can tell, the only thing I know is what I've read, please feel free to correct or add anything to what I've said. I'm just learning about this incredible spot!

Thanks for for the help!

 

[WetPup]

Ok, what they don't make explicit (and you seem to have guessed), is that during minke whale season, they do not go out to the Coral Sea. In June, the 7 night "Coral Sea" trips just go to Ribbon Reefs for the whole 7 days. If you want to go to Osprey, you need to do it either before or after the minke trips start.

Both are awesome, but the minke trips are kind of a once in a lifetime trip for most. Take advantage of that if you can, or if your travel dates are flexible, book the 7 night trip right before the "official" minke trips start, or the first 7 night trip right after the minke trips finish. That will get you to Osprey, and very likely a chance of also seeing the minkes on the way through.

 

[Aquapro Dive Services]

Mike Ball consider June and July the whales season so as WePup pointed out they don't go to the Coral Sea. However, if you do the trip on 2nd June that's the start of the season and will go to the Coral Sea (Osprey) and then the trip spends 3 nights on the Ribbon Reefs where you have a very high chance of seeing the whales.

As an alternative there is a trip on 14th July which is a Coral Sea and Minke trip for 7 days. So you get both.

Just make sure you book early as these trips book out months in advance.

Spirit of Freedom are pretty much the same trip and also offer 7 day trips going to the same sites but don't vary the itinerary so you still get Coral Sea and Ribbon Reefs. Worth considering. Still fly one way and motor back and still thee same level of service.

 

[Mixxa]

Hi again! Thank you for your replies, they help immensely. I'm starting to lean towards the suggestion of doing the coral reef trip on June 2nd right before the minke trips, with the hope of getting lucky with whales on the way back. That was a great idea. I have recently read about the Coral Sea portion of the trips being very weather dependent. That makes complete sense, nature isn't something I like to pick a fight with. As I have no real frame of reference, in your experience, how often is the Coral Sea crossing unnavigable? What is the weather like in early June? I genuinely appreciate the help. Thank you.

 

[Brandon]

We did the 7 day Coral Sea itinerary with Mike Ball in November 2010 and had a blast. Every one of the 25 dives we did was excellent, and I don't think there was a mediocre dive in the mix. I'll go back one of these days for the Minke trip or for one of the exploratory itineraries.

Weather was "sporty" during our trip and there was talk about cancelling the crossing to Osprey. The crew knows what they're doing and is familiar with what Spoilsport is capable of and what the passengers can withstand. If they can make it happen, they will.

 

[WetPup]

Weather in June is a little chilly, so pack sweats, and take a 3-5 mil full length wetsuit.

Regarding trip cancellations, it's got to be pretty blowy for them to cancel it. I've done the crossing a few times, even when it was a bit rough. I'm not sure what their cancellation rate is, but I wouldn't be too concerned, I don't think it happens particularly often. Think about it though, the worst case scenario would be you spending a week diving with minke whales. There's worse problems to have.

 

[Mixxa]

Brandon, thanks for the info! I'm glad to hear the diving lives up to what I read about. It does seem like a great trip.Wetpup, I'm sure you are right, there are far worse problems to have! Thanks for the packing advice, I'll take it into account when planning what to take. As per your advice, I won't worry myself about the crossing, I'm sure I'll get there then just enjoy whatever diving I'm able to do. Whales as a backup for a couple extra days is quite an ok plan with me. Thanks again.