Characteristically no wider than 450m, the Ribbon Reefs are part of the Great Barrier Reef Marina Park and are covered in colourful corals that attract a plethora of reef life big and small, with sandy gullies separating them, themselves containing interesting critters. The Ribbons reef host several of Australia’s most spectacular dive sites, as well as arguably the most prolific Black Marlin fishing in the world at certain times of year -with general fishing topping the list also.

4 night/5 day Lizard Island 

Day one – step aboard M.Y. Flying Fish at the Port Douglas Crystalbrook Marina and get acquainted with your luxurious abode for the next four nights. Queue the playlist, stretch out across the living areas which span three decks, and enjoy fine catering and service as you steam three hours towards Mackay Reef Sand Quay. A gourmet lunch will be served on the sand, then the afternoon is yours to experience this magical underwater world (2 x dive opportunities).

Day two – wake to Ribbon Reef #3 following a 3.5 hour overnight steam.  Situated on the outer coastline of the reef, some of these reef systems are rarely visited and therefore are incredibly pristine and untouched. Low coral gardens, vast plate corals, and remote pinnacles masked in curtains of fish are the wonders you will witness. Ribbon Reef #3 is home to a couple of fantastic dive sites and friendly Minkie whales. Steve’s Bommie is a legendary site and renowned for reef sharks, rays, barracudas and schools of trevally. In the afternoon prepare for a dive at Ribbon Reef #5, known as Andy’s Postcard which is a pinnacle encrusted with hard corals, lion fish, nudibranchs, octopus, schooling trevally and barracuda (3 – 4 dive opportunities).

Day three – wake to Ribbon Reef #8 following a 2.5 hour overnight steam. Here lives some wildly enchanting dive sights and idyllic spots to drift dive.  Sheer walls covered in whip corals and sea fans brim the natural amphitheatre of Vertical Gardens.  At the top of Ribbon Reef #9 the Pixie Pinnacle and Pixie Gardens are reefs in which their name speaks for itself, renowned for vibrant coloured marine life and exceptional visibility. While Challenger Bay is tremendous for a night dive and boasts excellent corals that will dazzle with colours (3 – 4 dive opportunities, including a night dive).

Day four – wake to Ribbon Reef #10 following a 2 hour overnight steam to dive the southern sites. The Lighthouse Bommie is a giant tower of coral that rises from the sea floor at 25 metres and stands 20 metres tall. The bommie is fascinating to explore as it is decorated with pretty corals and home to a great variety of invertebrate species. Divers will be spellbound by the fish life that swirls around the bommie. Massive schools of snapper swarm at the base of Lighthouse Bommie, while the top is usually engulfed in a whirlpool of trevally. But divers are also likely to see reef sharks, turtles, barracuda, sea snakes, lionfish, mackerel and even the odd dwarf minke whale over the winter months.

Over lunch, we will steam to the very top of Ribbon Reef #10 to possibly the most well-known dive site in the world – the Cod Hole. The Cod Hole is home to a group of very friendly potato cod, reaching up to 100 kilograms that have become accustomed to divers over the past 30 years. The giant fish approach quite closely, and can be hand fed at the site. Many other large and small reef fish populate this site, and during the winter months (June – July) you may even be photobombed by a dwarf minke whale – they have been known to linger around for encounters with divers for hours. Dynamite Pass is great for a drift dive too (opportunity for 3 – 4 dives). In the late afternoon we will steam one hour north to Lizard Island where for your final evening, the crew will put on an Aussie-style BBQ dinner to celebrate your memorable charter under a star-speckled sky.

Day five – on your final day, savour breakfast and then spend the morning snorkelling and discovering the most northern resort on the Great Barrier Reef, Lizard Island. The crew will bid you farewell before you depart on a charter or helicopter flight from Lizard Island back to Cairns.

Four-night charter from AUD $59,400* + APA

Overnight Charter Rate Inclusions:

• Unlimited use of kayaks, stand-up paddle boards, reef fishing gear, and snorkelling equipment
• Flying Cutlass, an 8.4m tender jet boat – perfect for snorkelling, fishing and diving

To enquire, click the button below, or contact Morris Escapes Reservations Department +61 (0)7 4777 7377 or [email protected]