Day 149 (Thursday Jan 17th)
We wouldn’t depart until the evening, but after checking in, I was able to go to some of the scuba shops in town to get some last-minute gear. The water temperature was very warm, so my 2mm shorty wetsuit would have sufficed for temperature. However, to guard against jellyfish stings and coral scratches, we needed full coverage of arms and legs. I got a very lightweight diving shirts and pants, which worked perfectly for my Great Barrier Reef diving.
We met for dinner and drinks to gather everyone before we boarded The Spoilsport. It was a great time to met the other divers, as well as some of the crew. We also met Mike Ball, who founded the Mike Ball Dive Expeditions.
Next, we got our first safety briefing before boarding the boat. Trip Director Jelle gave us the necessary information about our cabins, gear, and what the first night would entail. We would actually be sailing to our first dive site over-night, which would mean some rocking on the ship.
Jelle showing the boat 
I was on top… 
Sal was on bottom… 
My dive station 
Ready to dive in the am 
Outside lounge 
And we are off!
Day 150 (Friday Jan 18th)
An auspicious start to the morning…a double rainbow!
Our first day of dives – Summer Bay, Steve’s Bommie, The Clam Beds Coral Kingdom, ??? (will update my)
A morning selfie 
Coral reef from the surface 
Cuddlefish 
Cuddlefish 
Giant clams
Day 151 (Saturday Jan 19th)
Day 2 brought ANOTHER rainbow, although not as spectacular as the day before…
We also had another full day of diving at Faerie Grotto, Admiralty Anchor and False Entrance.
Through the cave 
Soft coral 
Sal 
Fan Coral 
Brain Coral 
Anenomefish 
Following after Sal 
Bannerfish and colorful coral
Day 152 (Sunday Jan 20th)
We had done another overnight drive to get to Osprey Reef where we would see the shark feed. We also visited Around the Bend, Shark Amphitheater, Northern Horn and Halfway reef.
Sal 
I loved being upsidedown 
Safety Stop Shenanigans 
Sal exploring 
Shark 
More sharks! 
A shell 
A fern coral 
Anenomefish 
Coral 
Sal’s sideways salute 
Coral 
Triggerfish 
Clam 
More clams 
Cuddlefish 
Cuddlefish camoflouge 
Me and a potatoe cod 
An injured anenomefish
https://vimeo.com/313066667
We did a twilight dive after the shark feed in which I lost my GoPro. I had neglected to buy the floaty handle, and so when I was trying to get on the ladder on the boat, the strap broke and my camera sunk 2000m to the bottom of the ocean. At least I had transferred all my photos and video off the camera. The silver lining is that I could really focus on my diving, breath control, and just having fun under the water for the rest of the trip.
Day 153 (Sunday Jan 20th)
We traveled to Lizard Island to drop off the 4-day guests. There were 9 of us that were the “Weeklings” (7-day guests). We would then pickup additional divers who had flown up to Lizard island for the return trip to Cairns. We had some time on the island to hike and explore.
Saying goodbye to our first group 
Lizard Island 
Maddie and Sal hiking 
Spoilsport anchored offshore 
Spoilsport in the distance
Another fun thing that happened several mornings on the trip was top-deck training with Maddie and Sal. I’m proud to say that I’ve trained with an Olympic gold medalist, as Maddie had won gold for the UK Women’s field hockey team in 2016. I also trained with a former Abercrombie & Fitch model, as Sal had modeled for them for a time. So many celebrities on this boat!
TRX strap training 
Feel the burn!
Day 154 (Monday Jan 21st)
The second half of the trip began. Not too many pics for these dives, since I lost my camera. I did get the photo package by the ship’s photographer, so I do have a few photos for each day. The dive locations included Cod Hole and Gotham City.
Day 154 (Tuesday Jan 22nd)
Our last full day of diving. While many of the other week-long divers were starting to tire, I was still going full-steam, determined to complete every single dive of the trip. We dove at Lighthouse Bommie, Coral Kingdom, and Harrier Reef.
My approach… 
should have stayed… 
right side up…
I also got a few photos from Darius and Monika, long-time divers who were exceptional photographers. They won the onboard photo competition for SLR cameras. I’m sure you can see why…
Day 155 (Wednesday Jan 23rd)
We had a half-day of dives on Wednesday, in order for people to have enough time to sufficiently decrease the nitrogen build-up in their bodies. Otherwise, it could cause complications for air travel. Photos from this day’s dives are all Sal. He let me download his photos, so I had some from the back-half of the trip. Our dive locations were Crackerjack, Steve’s Bommie, and Flare Point.
Colorful coral 
Sal doing a “Derek” pose 
A GIANT Clam!
I also want to give a shout-out to Maddie for capturing this amazing shot of the Mac Daddy of Potato Cods. He actually shoved some sharks out of the way at the shark feed to get a frozen tuna head.
Wednesday night was our 2nd BBQ and party (we had our first one prior to dropping off the guests at Lizard Island). It was very different for the “Weeklings” as this time we would be departing the boat like everyone else.
Day 156 (Thursday Jan 24th)
After another overnight trip, we docked back into Cairns at 7am. After getting a few last pictures, we said good-bye and parted ways…
Our second dive group 
Our fantastic crew! 
Maddie, Lyndsy, Me, and Sal – the “Weeklings”
Hard to believe this trip was 3 months ago. I can’t believe how much it exceeded my expectations. I entered the expedition with only 25 logged scuba dives, and I ended with over 50, which more than doubled my number of dives and underwater time. But the best part was sharing all the experiences with my new friends.
Whew…we are now within 1 month of My Adventure ending. Thanks for visiting and following along. The song for this post comes from the Mike Ball Dive Video that I purchased (the vimeo clip above came from the video as well). It is actually a preview of a song from next month’s playlist, which I’m calling Redemption.
Always (Classixx Remix) by Panama
Always I remember you
Slow down so I can follow you
And you, such a fearless soul
Disarmed me by truth, and broke my mold
Always I remember you
Slow down and try to tell the truth
And I know I’m just a coward when it comes to love
Disarmed by words, like an old white stain
Goodbye my deeper child
Told you: take down your barricades
And follow your own heart now
Always I remember you
Slow down, and try to tell the truth
Always I can recall you
Can you slow down so I can follow you?
Deep down you said I’m a coward when it comes to love
Deep down your words changed my mold
So many cool pictures! I love the underwater videos, too. It looks like it was such a fun experience!
Thanks! Yes, it was magical and I hope I can do another liveaboard trip soon!