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Liveaboard diving in Australia

The Great Barrier Reef and Coral Sea, dwarf minke whales, Ningaloo whale sharks

4 yachts for liveaboard diving

Australia — the Great Barrier Reef, Coral Sea, dwarf minke whales, Ningaloo whale sharks. Liveaboard schedules and prices.

Why divers come here

The Cod Hole on the Ribbon Reefs — potato cod the size of a person
Dwarf minke whales in June–July — the whales approach the divers
Osprey Reef in the Coral Sea — sheer walls and 40+ metre visibility
North Horn — gatherings of grey reef and whitetip sharks
Whale sharks on Ningaloo Reef from March to August
The SS Yongala — one of the world's great wrecks, carpeted in soft coral

What you'll meet underwater

Potato cod (up to 100 kg) Dwarf minke whales (June–July) Whale sharks (Ningaloo, March–August) Reef manta rays (Ningaloo, May–November) Grey reef and whitetip reef sharks Hammerhead sharks (North Horn) Green and loggerhead turtles Giant trevally and sea snakes (Yongala)

Practical information

Best season: June–November (Coral Sea, dwarf minke whales in June–July), March–August (Ningaloo whale sharks)
Water temperature: 22–29 °C
Visibility: 15–40 m
Wetsuit: 3 mm in summer, 5 mm from June to August
Experience level: Open Water on the Great Barrier Reef; Advanced for the Coral Sea and the Yongala (currents, depth)
Getting there: Fly via Dubai, Doha, Singapore or Bangkok to Sydney (SYD) or Brisbane, then a domestic flight to Cairns (CNS), the departure port for Great Barrier Reef and Coral Sea liveaboards. For Ningaloo, fly via Perth (PER) to Learmonth (LEA), 40 minutes from Exmouth.
Airports: Cairns (CNS), Sydney (SYD), Perth (PER), Exmouth / Learmonth (LEA)
Visa: A visa is required for most nationalities. Visitor visas (subclass 600) and eVisitor/ETA options are applied for online before travel; processing times vary widely by passport, so apply well in advance.
Climate: Tropical in the north (24–33°C), hot and dry on the west coast
Currency: Australian dollar (AUD)
Language: English
Time zone: UTC+8 (Perth) … UTC+10 (Cairns, Sydney)