Great Barrier Reef Diving, Snorkeling & Sailing Tours with Small, Fun Groups

Qantas is offering some cheap flights from London to Cairns, Australia .These fares are available for departures 16 April to 20 June 2010.

London (Heathrow) to Cairns return economy from £753* Details Here
Offer ends 2 March 2010, unless sold out prior. Limited availability.
More Details available on the Qantas UK website.

While you are making your booking don’t forget to make sure you don’t miss out on going to the Great Barrier Reef, so book early.

The Gorgonian or Fan Coral as it is commonly refered to is one of the favourites of the scuba divers on our Great Barrier Reef trips. Best seen from underwater and not on top, it is one of the joys that only diving can truly allow you to appreciate. It is a soft coral that is easily damaged by coming to close so we tell everyone to stay a few metres (6ft) away at all times.

The fans are formed by the coral polyps building on top of each other in a vertical formation. The growth of the fan is very dependant on the temperatures and current of the water. The bigger and more flexible of the fans are found in areas with consistent currents while stiffer shorter species are found in calmer areas.

Brittles stars, algae and other species often call the fans their home. The use the structure as a great place to sit and feed on the nutrients that pass through the impressive gorgonian structures.

Another common site on the reef is the blue spotted ray. The blue spotted ray is found behind the reef face in the sandy bottom. It often buries itself in the sand, as seen above, so only its eyes appear above the surface of the sand. Being bottom feeders, their mouth is perfectly designed to scoop crabs, shrimp and fish. Instead of chewing its mouth is designed for a crushing motion rather then chewing before swallowing it’s meal.

The average blue spotted ray is about 30cm (12 inches) across the back. It is most commonly seen in depths ranging from about 6m – 20m. Sometime seen gracefully swimming over the coral beds on the reef as the photo below shows.

The male fertilizes the eggs inside the female where they remain, yes inside the eggs and inside the mother, until they hatch and she gives birth to live rays, known as pups.

We want you to have the best experience and most relaxed vacation as you travel to Australia. So please heed the mistakes of others and make your trip the best it can be.

Over the last few weeks we have had quite a few people miss out on the trip they wanted because they delayed in booking. They made the mistake of thinking they may get some some last minute deal. If there is no room there is no room. You don’t just show up to the airport on your date of travel expecting to get the flight and seat you want. So why go to the destination of your holiday without plans. It is great to be flexible and allow yourself to experience the native flavor.

However you can avoid getting a second class trip or having to settle for tours that are leftovers by booking the key events of your trip. Leave some time for spontaneity but plan the main points of your trip before hand it saves a lot of time and stress. Instead of sitting in a booking office shouldn’t you be walking on a beach or enjoying your holiday. So book early, relax, have fun, and we hope to see you in the coming months.