Another Sad Day on the Great Barrier Reef

[Andrew Jones]

After the Sale of Osprey and Cod Hole Liveaboard Nimrod Explorer a few months ago, I am extremely sad to announce the Cancellation of the Undersea Explorer operation as at Tuesday.

Talking to the owners over the last couple of days, it appears that this highly successful operator over the last 15 years has been forced to close down its operation immediately.

For those of you who had the pleasure of doing this trip, either to the usual Osprey and Cod Hole or the very rare Raine Island expeditions, it now appears likely that choices will now become very limited.

It seems that no-one is immune from the global downturn, and divers wishing to explore remote area's around the world have just suffered another hit.

I am very happy to say however that John .... the Skipper and Operations Manager of the old Nimrod has now found a new job skippering another liveaboard out of Cairns.

In fact talking with the Owner of this Company we are disscussing as we speak the opportunity of a liveaboard for the the Port Douglas area. The mooring blocks have been laid, the reef sites inspected and now its just down to the transfers etc.

Will keep you posted.

Andy

 

[hallboy]

IF it is done quickly, keep me posted.

Im stuck with an airplane ticket, and no boat: i was supposed to be on the Undersea the 20 something of March, for one week heading to Osprey.....

I cannot cancel the plane, the other boats can only take me 3 days to Cod hole... and really, coming from Europe and going back imediatly after the cruise was already a bet. if it is only for ribbon and Code hole..... well. Not very interested: i picked the undersea because the boat was staying longer on Osprey...............Andrew if you have any idea or something to propose me...

Maybe i will come and not dive, just spending a few days in Port Douglas or Cairns and the rest in Sydney... maybe i will try to see what ai can do with the insurance...

**************************** ck !!!!!!

 

[marinediva]

Head to PNG Hallboy.
Magical Diving, great cultural interests, and it costs only $500 return from Cairns.

 

[hallboy]

thank you marinediva. could you be more specific? what kind of diving around there? small stuff? big stuf?

 

[MA]

Firstly, I am devestated to hear that Undersea is finishing. That was by far my favourite liveaboard trip - there were no other boats run like that one.

Hallboy - spirit of freedom and taka go out to osprey. Its worth trying to get out there.

 

[marinediva]

Sure Hallboy,
Lets see, in Madang where I am, two weeks ago we had Orca's on one of the sites.
At another site, it is not uncommon to have up to 5000 (I am not exaggerating) mackeral, tuna, bonito, and other assorted circling your head. The first dive I did here was with a 15 ft Marlin in twenty M of water. Magic Passage has so many reef fish you are pushing them out of the way.
Not forgetting Hammerheads, dolphins, although never on the same day at one site, ARmies of Humped Parrotfish cracking coral but sadly no Manta Rays as yet. Often get Milke whales and I have been told the odd sailfish through.

The small stuff well.......open any identification book on Corals, Nudibranch, and little critters and I am sure you will find it here with babies as well. When in Thailand, it was satisfactory for me to know up to 40 names to do identifications. Here I am getting up to 100 on each dive.

I truly mean it when I say it is magical. I spent my first ten dives crying with happiness as I had never and I mean NEVER seen such diverse reefs and dive sites in such a small area. This stuff is within half hour boat ride or 50m from my home depends on how late I have got up for the day.

It is a photographers dream, a hunters paradise, and a wreck junkies opium.

Think I will have to move into marketing with that.
ANyway check it out on the net......MILNE Bay is also fantastic, as is Kaviend. So many places.

I have not met one person disappointed with PNG diving.

 

[hallboy]

IF you can give me more precision in an another post or with private message , it would be fine.

For the moment, i juste hesitate between NPG, a 3 days on the mike ball boat or Cairns + sidney without dive.

But it was not the goal of Adrew, when he started this post.



Im so disapointed.....

 

[Tassie_Rohan]

Please tell me you are joking!


I really enjoyed diving with the Undersea Explorer. They always had a great local component, and the science aspect was always interesting. I have several mates who were about to book for their fantastic whale diving trips.


Bugger!

 

[Eau_Girl]

I have done 2 trips on the Undersea Explorer and loved the boat and the crew. It's a real shame that they will not be operating any longer!

All the best for the future to the great crew!

 

[Andrew Jones]

Hallboy..... can you provide your exact dates of travel arrival times, departure times etc so I can run that against exact departure times of operators for you.

For everyone else FYI

A dive group has contacted us about a booking that they made on Undersea in 8 months time for 9 passengers. They had not been advised by their travel agent that the trip has been cancelled. We advised them to go back to their agent to collect a refund, and were advised that it was not refundable.

THIS IS incorrect. The cancellation policy's of Undersea and many other boats is full refund 2 months before trip depature. In this instance the Travel Agent has collected only there commission and is unwilling to part with it.

Will will continue to assist this group in this matter, and hope this will clarify for any one else in a simil situation.

Andy