Australia’s dive tourism industry is reeling from the triple-whammy of the worst bushfire season in history, scares of another mass bleaching event on the Great Barrier Reef and the devastating effect of Coronavirus Covid-19 Travel Restrictions.
Now more than ever is a good time to plan your next dive holiday down under and discover Australia’s amazing underwater world. Why? You’ll help save it.
Book now, travel later, help support our dive tourism industry – and help save our oceans. Here are 7 good reasons to consider a scuba diving holiday in Australia right now.
- While things are necessarily quiet right now, if dive centres know they have people booking in September, October – even 2021 – they have a better chance of pulling through this crisis.
- Dive Tourism Operators help protect our oceans. A percentage of all dive tourism revenue goes towards looking after our precious marine environment – both directly, and indirectly. Directly, many operators manage marine conservation programs such as coral restoration, turtle sanctuaries and marine life monitoring programs. Indirectly all dive centres contribute through donations to organisations such as Citizens of the Great Barrier Reef, the Great Barrier Reef Foundation or the Australian Marine Conservation Foundation.
- Early Bird Specials on the Great Barrier Reef. The Great Barrier Reef: see it, love it, save it. Dive the Ribbon Reefs, Cod Hole and Osprey Reef with Spirit of Freedom on a 3, 4 or 7-day liveaboard trip. Book before 30 April 2020 to take advantage of Early Bird Specials. Save 20% on selected 7-day trips on Spirit of Freedom in August and September.
- New SS Yongala Expeditions Announced. Arguably one of the world’s greatest wrecks, this adrenalin-pumping wreck dive is absolutely teeming with pelagic life including several species of rays, reef sharks, large schools of Jacks, giant trevally and barracuda, and olive sea snakes. Both Mike Ball (April) and Spirit of Freedom (November) are now running special expeditions to the Yongala – but with only two trips each this year, you’ll need to get in quick. Another liveaboard option for the SS Yongala is Townsville-based Adrenalin Dive, who run 2-day and 3-day trips to Flinders Reef and the Yongala.
- Swim with Minke Whales. Dwarf minke whales travel through the Great Barrier Reef each winter, with most sightings occurring during June and July. The Great Barrier Reef is the only location where snorkel and dive tours with minke whales are available – with both Mike Ball Dive Expeditions and Spirit of Freedom running special expeditions in June and July – but you need to get in quick, these trips are very popular.
- Discover the Rowley Shoals. Discover Australia’s remote Rowley Shoals, a chain of three pristine coral atolls located on the edge of the widest continental shelf in the world, a day’s sailing north west of Western Australia’s Kimberley Coast. Trips are only possible in October and November, with liveaboard trips on The Great Escape and The Odyssey. Dive on one of the largest untouched coral gardens on earth. Dive amongst the Giant Clams, shellfish, Giant Potato Cod and Maori Wrasse. Discover over 200 species of coral and over 650 species of fish. With visibility in excess of 60m (197 ft.) and a warm tropical climate.
- Dive with Great White Sharks. To come face to face with a great white shark underwater is one of the most exciting experiences available to divers today. This trip has been described as the ultimate adventure that Australia has to offer. Rodney Fox Expeditions run 4 and 5-day trips departing Port Lincoln, South Australia. Cruise through the Spencer Gulf to the Neptune Islands, breeding grounds for thousands of New Zealand Fur Seals and the rare Australian Sea Lion – a natural feeding ground for the Great White Shark.
For more, visit Diveplanit Travel, a Platinum Partner of the Australian Marine Conservation Society, donating a percentage of profits each year and helping to promote the admirable campaigns the society undertakes.
