Cairns: Liveaboard Trips (Overnight)
Nimrod Explorer, Nimrod

The Company

The Nimrod Explorer began diving operations along the Great Barrier Reef in the late 1980s, and, as the Nimrod III, spent over ten years sailing from bases such as Cooktown and Port Douglas before being based in Cairns in 1994. Purchased by Explorer Ventures Ltd. in 1999, Nimrod Explorer and her staff now offer guests regular and exploratory itineraries in an area in which she pioneered diving.

2006 - 2008 Schedule (Departure Dates)

The Diving/snorkeling

Nimrod is an 18-passenger liveaboard dive vessel Nimrod Explorer offers dive travellers the opportunity to explore Australia's magical Great Barrier Reef, without the crowds accommodated on the larger liveaboard dive vessels in the area.

The Nimrod Explorer offers trips from 3 to 11 days along the Ribbon Reefs to Cooktown, the Cod Hole and even farther north, to the rarely visited northern reaches of the Great Barrier Reef approaching Papua New Guinea.

7-day Coral Sea trips depart every two weeks, and offer the chance to experience the large pelagics and awesome visibility of the Coral Sea's Osprey Reef.

At certain times of the year, manta rays, rare dwarf minke whales and other large pelagics offer a variety of experiences befitting the world's largest barrier reef system.

There is no "best" time of year for diving on the Great Barrier Reef. Each month brings something different, from manta rays during November through April, to the coral spawn in November, to rare dwarf minke whales in June and July. Water temperatures range from 22°C in July (72°F) to 28°C in February (84°F). Due to the large selection of dive sites, we can usually avoid sites with strong currents. Underwater visibility can range from 15 metres (50 feet) to well over 30 metres (100 feet); while visibility along the Reef can vary a bit more due to rainfall and water temperature, the visibility in the Coral Sea is consistently excellent all year round.

Dives are made from the vessel itself, taking advantage of the easy-access dive platform and other on-board amenities. Entries are usually made from the dive platform, just a few centimeters/inches from the water.

Nimrod offers several different itineraries throughout the year:

• 4Days/3Nights - itinerary B
  Cooktown, Cod Hole and Ribbon Reefs Expedition
  Cooktown to Cooktown, 4 days / 3 nights, 2.5 diving days - up to 12 dives
• 5Days/4Nights - itinerary A -
  Cooktown, Cod Hole and Ribbon Reefs Expedition
  Cairns to Cooktown, 5 days / 4 nights, 3.5 diving days - up to 16 dives
• 8Days/7Nights - itinerary C -
  Cooktown, Cod Hole, Ribbon Reefs and Coral Sea Expedition:
  Cooktown to Cairns, 8days / 7 nights, 6 diving days - up to 28 dives

Extended trips (limited dates)

• 8Days/7Nights - itinerary 6 -
  Saturday 21st - 28th October 2006
  Saturday 13th - 20th October 2007
  Saturday 18th - 25th October 2008
  Northbound Far Northern Exploratory Tour
  Cooktown to Lockhart River, 8 days/7 nights - up to 27 dives
  
• 8Days/7Nights - itinerary 8
  Saturday 11th -18th November 2006
  Saturday 10th - 17th November 2007
  Saturday 15th - 22nd November 2008
  Southbound Far Northern Exploratory Tour
  Lockhart River to Cooktown or Lizard Island, 8 days/7 nights - approx. 27 dives
• 8Days/7Nights - itinerary 11
  Saturday 28th October 2006 - 4th November 2006
  Saturday 4th November 2006 - 11th November 2006
  Saturday 20th October 2007 - 27th October 2007
  Saturday 27th October 2007 - 3rd November 2007
  Saturday 3rd November 2007 - 10th November 2007
  Saturday 25th October 2008 - 1st November 2008
  Saturday 1st November 2008 - 8th November 2008
  Saturday 8th November 2008 - 15th November 2008
  Ocean Outback Adventure Lockhart River to Lockhart River
  7 Nights / 8 Days (5 ½ days diving) - Approximately 27 dives, conditions permitting

Schedules

• 2006 - 2008 Schedule (Departure dates)

The Vessel

Staffed by a crew of six, the Nimrod Explorer is ideally sized and equipped both for shorter trips for trailers passing through Cairns, to longer expeditions to the far reaches of the Great Barrier Reef. A twin-engine power catamaran, the vessel is spacious and very stable, and offers amenities normally seen on much larger boats. Guests are accommodated in 3 large double and 3 spacious quadruple cabins, each of which has ensuite facilities and plenty of storage. For longer trips, two of the three quadruple staterooms can be converted to spacious double staterooms.

The nicely-appointed main salon offers dining and relaxation areas, as well as a well-equipped entertainment centre and bar area. The large shaded top deck offers an open-air respite from the sun, while the expansive bow serves as a welcome warm-up between dives.

Four to five dives are conducted daily directly from the expansive aft dive deck, with entries made directly off of the twin dive platforms into the water. The vessel is well-stocked with quality diving gear for each guest for those passing through the area as part of a longer trip; nonetheless, the crew's experience and qualifications are well suited for those travelling specifically to experience one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World.

The dive deck has a freshwater shower, camera table, and freshwater rinse bins for equipment. Individual gear lockers are located beneath the tank rack for easy storage of equipment. Steps access the dive platform, where two in-water ladders hang for easy access to and from the water.

Boat Layout