Vibrant barrier reef is extremely great, and so are the crew An in itself outstanding experience made so much better and memorable by the stoke and support of the entire crew (and Minkie expert!), I cannot wait to get back out there again. If anything is motivation to work your job, this is.
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c0y0tejack
Australia
18/06/2025
Live Aboard Experience I did the 7 day coral sea & Barrier Reef trip on the Spoilsport. it was a completely carefree experience. The dive deck was set up a spot for all divers that stayed the same for the entire trip, the crew made sure my gear was ready and a full tank was always ready. The crew were very busy all day to make sure the divers every need was met. 24/7 coffee machine and biscuit tin was available as well as 3 professional meals provided every day. And this was just above water. I was a solo diver so the crew made sure I had a buddy and a staff guide for each dive. We visited as many a 3 dive sites per day and had the option of 4-5 dives per day if you had the stamina. The dives were diverse and I experienced so much sea life including sharks & Minke Whales. I would do this trip again in the future
更に読む閉じる
Jin M
14/06/2025
Fantastic live aboard scuba and snorkel diving in Far North QLD. Scuba and snorkel trip to the Ribbon Reefs in Far North QLD. Great diving from MBDE Spoilsport. Reasonably priced and seems to be a favourite with locals and dive tourists.
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Terry C
27/05/2025
Great staff and food. We went in 2017 and 2025. They do as well as they can with what they have to work with. The reef is dying at a very fast rate. We saw massive difference in the 8 year gap between our trips. It’s not from cyclones. It’s not a transient cycle, as they’ll tell you. It’s hugely damaged from global warming. Imagine dead staghorn coral for as far as you can see, with little pockets of life. The sharks are all small. Didn’t see any over 4 feet. The staff of spoilsport did a great job, but unfortunately the reef is depressing to see.
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Laurence Turner
30/07/2025
My experience was from the perspective that I had met all the requirements for diving and the necessary medical certificate, only to be told once on board that no, I could not dive, at all, on the 3 night Minke Whale trip. Hearing that not only ruined my trip, I believe it brought the whole boat bad karma, so we didn't see any whales.
I'm an experienced, advanced open water diver (over 300), and have done many liveaboard boat trips and dived many places. With that experience, I can say that the boat layout is not good, and there are better places to dive.
I dived Fiji last month, and that was my 4th dive trip there. It is 100% better than the GBR. Go diving there instead! The GBR has lots of broken coral and is generally looking unhealthy - not a lot of reef fish, crustaceans, or nudibranchs. (But, I was only able to snorkel.)
The boat layout has the wet dive deck adjacent to the dry sleeping quarters and no toilet on the deck. So if you're bursting for a pee after a dive, first you need to get out of your wetsuit and try to dry off before going into the "dry" area to use a toilet. The lounge area also has no toilet or sink (just a slime dispenser).
The staff are competent but obviously overworked and obligated to put on a happy face. The BBQ night "party" felt forced. We weren't fed until about 8:30 pm, all of us tired and hungry. In an enclosed space with hard surfaces, the sound quickly reaches LOUD, and it is very difficult to hear people talk, and it is unpleasant to try and hear.
Am I a grumpy old person? Probably. But I'm also an experienced diver and traveler so take it or leave it.
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Margaret Joppa
30/07/2025
Magical very special minke whales on the 4 night expedition. The crew went above and beyond to ensure we all enjoyed our trip. Yummy food, super comfy beds and lots of space to hang out and see the whales and other wildlife. Will come again 😊
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Janine Hew
10/07/2025
Best boat for the great barrier reef. Fantastic. Crew took great care of every one on board. Boat was clean and comfortable. Food was great - plenty to eat and good variety, accommodating for different dietary needs.
I've done several liveaboard trips on the great barrier reef on different boats, including Spirit of Freedom which would be the direct competition. If I do another, it will definitely be with Mike Ball.
Rental dive gear was in good shape, wet-suits appeared near-new. Nice BCDs with integrated weights. Rental fins were full-foot (every other boat I have done has offered booties + open heel. Had I known this I would have made more of an effort to bring my own. Obviously a minor thing. Neoprene socks were available to buy on board for improved comfort) rental regs included a depth gauge only - nice and streamlined. Wrist mounted computers were available to rent Those who rented one were given a demo on their use and seemed happy (I had my own so can't comment much)
Dives were not time-limited - if you wanted to dive for longer than 50 minutes you were just asked to inform them. I have not seen this with other operators and I appreciated it.
I think they had two guides going down on every dive for people who weren't confident navigating or otherwise wanted to be part of a group. (Navigation on all sites was straightforward, especially after the detailed dive brief) Otherwise, they seemed pretty good at finding appropriate buddies for people who needed them
The on-board videographer/photographer produced some great stuff that was provided to us (included free in the minke while trip, I believe similar content is available for a fee on other trips). He made a video of the trip which we all watched together - a nice moment to share. He was also a great source of knowledge on photography gear and techniques throughout.
As this was a minke whale trip there were presentations by an accomplished researcher which were very informative. These sessions were also nice to bring everyone together and build a bit of rapport.
Spoilsport, the Mike Ball catamaran, is much more spacious and it copes better in rough conditions than the Spirit of Freedom boat. Aside from that, both follow very similar itineraries with fantastic dive sites - definitely better than what you see close to Cairns. (BTW I can't fault SOF for anything, the crew and everything were fantastic on my trip and their boat is beautiful - its just that Spoilsport is more comfortable)
更に読む閉じる
jbK8240WV
28/06/2025
An experience not to be missed My wife and I took part in the Dwarf Minke Whale Expedition.12-16 June 2025.
Spoilsport was comfortable and clean; Food was excellent with great variety and a proactive attitude towards non-meat eaters; I took my own equipment but hire gear looked to be well maintained; dive deck never felt crowded even with a full boat.
ALL of the crew were fabulous, engaging and nothing was too much trouble. As a non-diver, my wife was made to feel so comfortable.
And that's all before we get to the diving - stunning, swimming with Dwarf Minke whales. Having a renowned expert on board made the whole trip a complete experience.
One downside was the weather (high swell and winds) but I guess some things are out of the control of even Captain Pete.
If you go don't miss the end of trip party!
更に読む閉じる
sjb379
Scarborough, Australia
19/06/2025
An in itself outstanding experience made so much better and memorable by the stoke and support of the entire crew (and Minkie expert!), I cannot wait to get back out there again. If anything is motivation to work your job, this is.
更に読む閉じる
Alex
18/06/2025
Vibrant barrier reef is extremely great, and so are the crew An in itself outstanding experience made so much better and memorable by the stoke and support of the entire crew (and Minkie expert!), I cannot wait to get back out there again. If anything is motivation to work your job, this is.
更に読む閉じる
c0y0tejack
Australia
18/06/2025
Live Aboard Experience I did the 7 day coral sea & Barrier Reef trip on the Spoilsport. it was a completely carefree experience. The dive deck was set up a spot for all divers that stayed the same for the entire trip, the crew made sure my gear was ready and a full tank was always ready. The crew were very busy all day to make sure the divers every need was met. 24/7 coffee machine and biscuit tin was available as well as 3 professional meals provided every day. And this was just above water. I was a solo diver so the crew made sure I had a buddy and a staff guide for each dive. We visited as many a 3 dive sites per day and had the option of 4-5 dives per day if you had the stamina. The dives were diverse and I experienced so much sea life including sharks & Minke Whales. I would do this trip again in the future
更に読む閉じる
Jin M
14/06/2025
Fantastic live aboard scuba and snorkel diving in Far North QLD. Scuba and snorkel trip to the Ribbon Reefs in Far North QLD. Great diving from MBDE Spoilsport. Reasonably priced and seems to be a favourite with locals and dive tourists.
更に読む閉じる
Terry C
27/05/2025
Great staff and food. We went in 2017 and 2025. They do as well as they can with what they have to work with. The reef is dying at a very fast rate. We saw massive difference in the 8 year gap between our trips. It’s not from cyclones. It’s not a transient cycle, as they’ll tell you. It’s hugely damaged from global warming. Imagine dead staghorn coral for as far as you can see, with little pockets of life. The sharks are all small. Didn’t see any over 4 feet. The staff of spoilsport did a great job, but unfortunately the reef is depressing to see.
更に読む閉じる
Laurence Turner
30/07/2025
My experience was from the perspective that I had met all the requirements for diving and the necessary medical certificate, only to be told once on board that no, I could not dive, at all, on the 3 night Minke Whale trip. Hearing that not only ruined my trip, I believe it brought the whole boat bad karma, so we didn't see any whales.
I'm an experienced, advanced open water diver (over 300), and have done many liveaboard boat trips and dived many places. With that experience, I can say that the boat layout is not good, and there are better places to dive.
I dived Fiji last month, and that was my 4th dive trip there. It is 100% better than the GBR. Go diving there instead! The GBR has lots of broken coral and is generally looking unhealthy - not a lot of reef fish, crustaceans, or nudibranchs. (But, I was only able to snorkel.)
The boat layout has the wet dive deck adjacent to the dry sleeping quarters and no toilet on the deck. So if you're bursting for a pee after a dive, first you need to get out of your wetsuit and try to dry off before going into the "dry" area to use a toilet. The lounge area also has no toilet or sink (just a slime dispenser).
The staff are competent but obviously overworked and obligated to put on a happy face. The BBQ night "party" felt forced. We weren't fed until about 8:30 pm, all of us tired and hungry. In an enclosed space with hard surfaces, the sound quickly reaches LOUD, and it is very difficult to hear people talk, and it is unpleasant to try and hear.
Am I a grumpy old person? Probably. But I'm also an experienced diver and traveler so take it or leave it.
更に読む閉じる
Margaret Joppa
30/07/2025
Magical very special minke whales on the 4 night expedition. The crew went above and beyond to ensure we all enjoyed our trip. Yummy food, super comfy beds and lots of space to hang out and see the whales and other wildlife. Will come again 😊
更に読む閉じる
Janine Hew
10/07/2025
Best boat for the great barrier reef. Fantastic. Crew took great care of every one on board. Boat was clean and comfortable. Food was great - plenty to eat and good variety, accommodating for different dietary needs.
I've done several liveaboard trips on the great barrier reef on different boats, including Spirit of Freedom which would be the direct competition. If I do another, it will definitely be with Mike Ball.
Rental dive gear was in good shape, wet-suits appeared near-new. Nice BCDs with integrated weights. Rental fins were full-foot (every other boat I have done has offered booties + open heel. Had I known this I would have made more of an effort to bring my own. Obviously a minor thing. Neoprene socks were available to buy on board for improved comfort) rental regs included a depth gauge only - nice and streamlined. Wrist mounted computers were available to rent Those who rented one were given a demo on their use and seemed happy (I had my own so can't comment much)
Dives were not time-limited - if you wanted to dive for longer than 50 minutes you were just asked to inform them. I have not seen this with other operators and I appreciated it.
I think they had two guides going down on every dive for people who weren't confident navigating or otherwise wanted to be part of a group. (Navigation on all sites was straightforward, especially after the detailed dive brief) Otherwise, they seemed pretty good at finding appropriate buddies for people who needed them
The on-board videographer/photographer produced some great stuff that was provided to us (included free in the minke while trip, I believe similar content is available for a fee on other trips). He made a video of the trip which we all watched together - a nice moment to share. He was also a great source of knowledge on photography gear and techniques throughout.
As this was a minke whale trip there were presentations by an accomplished researcher which were very informative. These sessions were also nice to bring everyone together and build a bit of rapport.
Spoilsport, the Mike Ball catamaran, is much more spacious and it copes better in rough conditions than the Spirit of Freedom boat. Aside from that, both follow very similar itineraries with fantastic dive sites - definitely better than what you see close to Cairns. (BTW I can't fault SOF for anything, the crew and everything were fantastic on my trip and their boat is beautiful - its just that Spoilsport is more comfortable)
更に読む閉じる
jbK8240WV
28/06/2025
An experience not to be missed My wife and I took part in the Dwarf Minke Whale Expedition.12-16 June 2025.
Spoilsport was comfortable and clean; Food was excellent with great variety and a proactive attitude towards non-meat eaters; I took my own equipment but hire gear looked to be well maintained; dive deck never felt crowded even with a full boat.
ALL of the crew were fabulous, engaging and nothing was too much trouble. As a non-diver, my wife was made to feel so comfortable.
And that's all before we get to the diving - stunning, swimming with Dwarf Minke whales. Having a renowned expert on board made the whole trip a complete experience.
One downside was the weather (high swell and winds) but I guess some things are out of the control of even Captain Pete.
If you go don't miss the end of trip party!
更に読む閉じる
sjb379
Scarborough, Australia
19/06/2025
An in itself outstanding experience made so much better and memorable by the stoke and support of the entire crew (and Minkie expert!), I cannot wait to get back out there again. If anything is motivation to work your job, this is.
更に読む閉じる
Alex
18/06/2025
Vibrant barrier reef is extremely great, and so are the crew An in itself outstanding experience made so much better and memorable by the stoke and support of the entire crew (and Minkie expert!), I cannot wait to get back out there again. If anything is motivation to work your job, this is.
更に読む閉じる
c0y0tejack
Australia
18/06/2025
Live Aboard Experience I did the 7 day coral sea & Barrier Reef trip on the Spoilsport. it was a completely carefree experience. The dive deck was set up a spot for all divers that stayed the same for the entire trip, the crew made sure my gear was ready and a full tank was always ready. The crew were very busy all day to make sure the divers every need was met. 24/7 coffee machine and biscuit tin was available as well as 3 professional meals provided every day. And this was just above water. I was a solo diver so the crew made sure I had a buddy and a staff guide for each dive. We visited as many a 3 dive sites per day and had the option of 4-5 dives per day if you had the stamina. The dives were diverse and I experienced so much sea life including sharks & Minke Whales. I would do this trip again in the future
更に読む閉じる
Jin M
14/06/2025
Fantastic live aboard scuba and snorkel diving in Far North QLD. Scuba and snorkel trip to the Ribbon Reefs in Far North QLD. Great diving from MBDE Spoilsport. Reasonably priced and seems to be a favourite with locals and dive tourists.
