Category: Australia

Our Latest Great Barrier Reef Yacht Charter

We have just finished a relaxing five days on a private yacht charter around the tropical reefs and islands off Cairns and around North Queensland, Australia. There is nothing more relaxing then enjoying the beauty of the natural wonders of the world. Several days on the outer Great Barrier Reef and several days sailing around the islands, a perfect balance of both worlds and a great escape from civilization.

Nothing like the fresh sea air and wide open ocean space to wind down and enjoy your time away from the office. Enjoying the underwater marine life and experiencing the best of the world’s reefs is both a refreshing and humbling experience. The 5 days were perfect with the sea conditions flat to flatter and the skies clear, dotted by the occasional cloud to break the monotony of a perfectly blue sky. The days started with spectacular sunrises and ended with glorious sunsets. During thee days there were turtles, dolphins, whales, too many fish to mention and of course some spectacular diving and snorkelling.

Minke Whales – Species of the Reef

The Minke whales migrate from southern waters off Victoria to the northern areas of the Great Barrier Reef from about June every year. They grow to about 8m (26′) log and adults can weigh about 6 tonnes.
This young Minke whale decided to cruise around one of our dive sites on the outer reef. The curious young fellow was very intrigued with these strange creatures wearing bottles and blowing bubbles constantly. Jonny our intrepid young dive instructor happily snapped these photos as Fred swam around the boat and divers.
More on the Dwarf Minke Project can be found at the CRC Reef Research website.

Water Filters for the Reef – Mangroves

As with any ecosystem there are many components that go to make a healthy and resilient system such as the Great Barrier Reef. The picture above shows a tributary off Trinity Inlet lined by dense mangrove forest on a beautiful sunny Cairns day. The mangroves provide home to hundreds of different species ranging from egrets and ospreys to mudskippers and crocodiles. The root systems are dense and interweave with roots from other trees to provide a very stable base for the mangrove forest. These roots serve many functions in the environment from protection for the many different fish species inhabiting the inlet to filter system. The dense root systems trap sediment and impede the tidal flow thus helping clean the water of heavy metals, silt, and other contaminents both natural and deposited by man.
The seeds drop to the mud or water and can float until they are washed to a suitable bank where they will then grow.
The picture below shows the dense mangrove forest with the individual trees packed together closely competing for both sunlight and forming a dense root system.

Customer Satisfaction Surveys for April 2009

The latest independent customer satisfaction results have come back for April 2009, thanks to the diligent team at James Cook University.
Well done to the crew and every one involved again for a great job.

Received Value for Money: 96.5% said yes
Would Recommend the Trip: 100% said yes
Trip Met Expectations: 75% said very much
Average Satisfaction Score: 8.79