Scuba Diving Australia’s Great Barrier Reef

A liveaboard scuba diving vacation is the ultimate dream for many divers, and Australia is where many of them wish to experience it.

Life onboard Reef Encounter is just like being on a floating hotel and is the perfect way to experience the Great Barrier Reef.

Scuba diving Australia’s Great Barrier Reef with Reef Encounter

 The best way to experience the Great Barrier Reef is to become one of the fish, and enter the world of scuba diving.

Reef Encounter is a team of like-minded individuals who share a passion for the Cairns region and the Great Barrier Reef, and want to share their enthusiasm and knowledge to allow guests to partake in a truly memorable diving experience.

Once on board Reef Encounter, guests will enter a spectacular world of colour and marine life, with coral gardens that bloom under the sea.

Aside from the coral, the Great Barrier Reef is probably best-known for its spectacular variety of fishes.

Over 1500 species, from coral trout and sweetlips to marlin can be found in Reef waters.

The range of sizes, shapes and colours combine with the overwhelming beauty of the coral itself to make the Great Barrier Reef one of the world’s natural wonders.

Click here to read more about our reef sites Breaking Patches, Hastings Reef, Michaelmas Cay, Norman Reef and Saxon Reef 

Scuba divers will also get a chance to interact with Green Sea Turtles or the friendly resident giant Maori Wrasse, “Frank”, during their scuba diving adventures.

Instead of learning to dive in a resort pool or onshore shallows, at Reef Encounter the Great Barrier Reef itself is your classroom!

Reef Encounters caters for a range of diving options allowing even the most inexperienced divers to enjoy one of nature’s most spectacular triumphs.

Some of the dive packages Reef Encounter offers include:

Introductory Dive Options

• Try Reef Encounter’s FREE 10 minute Scuba Diving Lesson. Never tried scuba diving? Why not try an Introductory/Resort Scuba Dive with Reef Encounter’s team of experienced dive Instructors. No experience necessary! It’s fun…it’s safe…it’s easy!
• Our professional Dive Instructors guarantee a fantastic first experience. (Children need to be a minimum of 10 years in age to participate in scuba diving.)
• NITRO Diving. Experience NITRO, Reef Encounter’s ‘Introductory Night Dive’. No School Scuba. No testing. No license. Just fun guided diving with their team of experienced instructors!

 Scuba Diving Courses

 Personalised Open Water Course (SSI Open Water Certification): the Personalised Open Water Course is ideal for previously experienced divers or confident aquatic people.

Enjoy more guided dives than the open water and advanced courses combined! Eight pleasure dives are combined with six skills sessions over a 3 day/2 night period on Reef Encounter leaving the diver with their Open Water Certificate.

On the Wildside Boat Dives:

• Reef Encounter’s dive tender can transport up to twenty-four scuba divers to unique and adventurous diving locations. Reef Encounter’s hydraulically lifted boat platform allows for easy departure and return to Reef Encounter’s dive deck without the hassle of re-entry into the water.

Daily Transfers

Transfers to Reef Encounter are available by a 90 minute boat ride from Cairns or a stunning helicopter trip over the Great Barrier Reef – a service that no other vessel can provide!

For our guests who want to experience a liveaboard but do not wish to scuba dive we have amazing packages for snorkeling

Please note, this itinerary is based on a 3 day / 2 night stay with Reef Encounter

*Please note, this itinerary does not apply to ‘Great Barrier Reef Deal’ bookings.

*Stateroom Check In time is 10.00am with Check Out time 8.00am on morning of departure (access to a shared transfer/baggage room with bathroom is available along with all other boat facilities)

*Top Deck Club Check in time is 10.00am with Check Out time 2.00pm on day of departure

*This itinerary may vary due to weather conditions or other circumstances.