Coral Sea, Minke Whales, Yongala ‘22 Dive the Southern Great Barrier Reef, Snorkel with Minke Whales Dive MOUA & ‘World’s Best Shipwreck Dive - “SS Yongala” Live aboard - Superb GBR Diving from Townsville Duration: 8 days – 7 nights, (up to 22 SCUBA Dives) Tour Leaders: Ron and Shane Hunter ✉️ Trip Code: TN22 Max. Group Size:18 Min. Level: Advanced Open Water Dates: 13th – 20th June, 2022 Cost: From $2,190 Quad-share - $2,890 Twin-share + Airfares Includes transfers, all meals onboard, cylinders, weights & air fills

TNLH 20220202 Planning & Details

Monday, 13th June 2022: Depart Sydney SYD, Melbourne MEL, Avalon AVV, or Brisbane BNE, arrive Townsville TSV The Early dinner, transfer to “M.V. Kalinda”, our home for the next 8-nights. Vessel departs Townsville 19:00

th th Itinerary Tue 14 – 18 June

Five full days of diving or snorkelling with Minke Whales. The best diving on the Coral Sea reefs is normally quite shallow, allowing 4-dives per day including night dives. In tentative order of travel here are the dates, & some of the reefs we could be diving, all weather permitting.

14th: Lodestone & MOUA at John Brewer 15th: High Voltage at Helix 16th: Area 51 at Grub 17th: Yankee & Dip. 18th: Anzac & Blue Water Bombie. 19th: Centipede & Wheeler or “SS Yongala” shipwreck

Shipwreck of “SS Yongala”: The wreck lies in 28-metres of water inside the GBR, on a sandy bottom, & is like an oasis in the desert. Attracting massed amounts of aquatic life makes for what is regarded as THE best shipwreck dive in Planet Ocean. Early morning dives on the wreck are just mind-blowing. We will aim for 4 or 6 dives on the wreck.

It is essential that divers are completely comfortable diving to 28-metres, possibly in strong current*

*Divers once under are protected by the wreck from current

Minke Whales: We will be on the Southern GBRMP outer reefs during the peak of the Minke Whale season. These Itinerary Variations: Weather can have an impact on Reefs are known to host more Minkes, for a longer period where we will be diving. of time, than the Ribbon Reefs to the north. We will spend as much time as we all like with the Minke Whales. Minkes Dave, the Owner / Skipper of the boat, has decades of cannot be guaranteed, but being in peak season, our experience in these waters. This experience has given chances are very good. Obviously, we will not be able to fit him vast knowledge of the reefs that Minkes frequent in all of the reef diving, if we spend time with the Minkes. With over 1,000 reef sites to choose from, he will always plan the voyage with the goal of getting the best Sunday 19th: Early start, we will be moored over the wreck of the “SS Yongala”. Expect 25ºC water and 2 dives this diving and conditions that the weather dictates. morning. After last dive we will motor the 8-hours to It could be that the itinerary here will be sailed in Magnetic Island, go ashore for dinner at the Pub there, reverse order, with Yongala shipwreck dives first. It will before returning to the boat for our last night onboard. all come down to the Skipper’s assessment on our departure evening. Monday 20th June: We will weigh anchor early this morning, enjoy a coffee or tea as we motor across the Hoping that conditions will permit all diving & snorkelling narrow strait to Townsville. We will disembark at 08:00 we have planned, especially with the Minkes and dives make our way into town for brunch or direct to the airport on both MOUA (click link) and the “SS Yongala” for flights homeward. Note you will need at least 24-hours between your last dive and flying.

Depart Townsville TSV > BNE, SYD, MEL or AVV

2

TN Dwarf Minke Whales 2022

The Great Barrier Reef is the only place in the world that you can swim with Dwarf Minke Whales: an experience so exclusive it only happens for two months of the year and only in Tropical North Queensland.

Little is still known about the pocket-sized whale, but the Great Barrier Reef is the only known predictable aggregation in the world, and the only place where people are able to swim alongside them. It is believed the population arrive annually between June & July from Sub-Antarctic waters, via migration along Australia’s East Coast; research is underway to understand their migratory patterns.

One thing that is understood is their inherently curious nature, actively seeking out and maintaining long contact with vessels.

A select number of tour boats operate under a special licence that offers divers and snorkelers the rare privilege of interacting with the little whales.

Interactions are purely dictated by the minkes, with boat engines cut and set adrift when a pod is spotted. Swimmers entering the water must maintain contact with a rope trailing from the boat and await the inquisitive whales, who seem to enjoy showing off and typically come to investigate.

Encounters may last for a few minutes with one or two whales, or with wildlife being, well wild & ever unpredictable, one recorded encounter lasted 10 hours and the largest pod consisted of 28 whales

Dwarf minkes are highly manoeuvrable and acrobatic and are known to occasionally breach. If you’re lucky you may witness uncommon behaviours such as a head-rise, where the whale rises vertically, exposing its snout above the surface; or the spy-hop, the same move but with its eyes above the surface. Sometimes they will lateral roll and display their bellies

Each dwarf exhibits its own unique colouring, these markings are as distinctive as a human fingerprint, allowing researchers to follow the behaviours of individual whales.

Divers are encouraged to contribute any photos or observations to the Minke Whale Project.

3

The “SS Yongala, Australia’s worst maritime disasterThe, now the World Diving’s best shipwreck dive Sites

Yongala was a luxury passenger ship built in England in 1903 for the Adelaide Steamship Company (ASSCo). It was named after a local Aboriginal word for “broad water”. The 107-metre long ship relied on a large triple expansion engine driving a single propeller to achieve an official speed of 15.8 knots, though she often reached speeds of up to 17 knots.

She spent her brief lifetime ferrying travellers around Australia, firstly running roundtrip routes from Sydney and then Brisbane to Fremantle. She was the first vessel to make this 3,000-mile journey, the longest such trip at the time.

During the winter months, the ship made an east coast run between Melbourne and Cairns. It was on one of these wintertime voyages that the Yongala met its fate. Yongala was carrying 49 passengers and 73 crew members when it departed for the next leg of its journey on March 23. But instead of ferrying those 122 souls to Townsville it would only bring them to an early grave.

While the Yongala was still within sight of land, the local Flat Top station received a telegram warning of a cyclone between MacKay and Townsville, and it sent both flag and wireless signals, prompting several ships to take refuge at Mackay. Yongala did not see the flags, and did not have wireless equipment. This was not unusual; even though shore- based wireless stations were able to communicate with ships since 1910, most ships at the time did not carry wireless equipment. Ironically, a wireless destined for the Yongala was recently dispatched from the English Marconi Company

The last sighting of the Yongala was approximately five hours later at Dent Island. The lighthouse keeper watched as the ship steamed into Whitsunday Passage and worsening weather. The ship would not be seen again until its final resting place in 28-metres of water, inside the Great Barrier Reef, was discovered more than 40 years later.

4 TN MOUA 2022

The Museum of Underwater Art (MOUA) is a series of globally significant artworks located on the Great Barrier Reef in Townsville North Queensland. MOUA’s inspiring art pieces have been created by the world’s leading underwater sculptor – Jason deCaires Taylor. As Jason’s only underwater art museum in the Southern Hemisphere, MOUA has been created to inspire and educate the globe about reef conservation. The artworks have been built to allow for coral planting to support reef restoration

5

6 TN 2022 The Boat

“M.V. Kalinda” is a Classic Carvel Planked Timber Motor Vessel; the favourite of many divers who return again & again

• In full AMSA Survey for extended voyages to the Great Barrier Reef. • Surveyed for up to 28-passengers and 6-crew • Six spacious upper deck twin-shareAccommodatio cabins, 2 x bunk-style beds in each cabin n • One very spacious forepeak, lower deck, quad share cabin, 2 single & 2 x double beds • One aft, lower deck cabin for your Tour Leaders • Share facilities; 3 x heads (toilets), 3 x shower / bathrooms with hot & cold water • RIB / tender surveyed for 10 pax, with 20hp outboard • 2 x K14 Bauer SCUBA Air Compressors, with twin Air storage Bank system for super fast fills

7 TN 2022 The Fine Print

• Maximum number of divers on this trip 16 + your tour leaders Ron and Shane Fact• Your tour File leader / co -ordinator Ron will organize your flights, if you require • You will need to be an Advanced Diver on this tour

Inclusions: • 7-night’s accommodation onboard including all great meals, think 4 each day. • Two Tour Leaders, Ron and Shane will accompany you as part of the boat’s crew, they will be responsible for the filling of SCUBA tanks, driving the tender, keeping look-out, accompanying you on some dives, and the general organization of the diving & snorkelling • Up to 22* SCUBA dives. We will enjoy 3 or 4 dives per day, except on days when we are with the Minke Whales, which is snorkelling only. So, with the very great likelihood of prolonged Minke Whale interactions, the overall number of 22 dives may not be possible

Budget for: • Flights to Townsville TSV are available from Sydney SYD, Melbourne MEL, Avalon AVV, & Brisbane BNE • IMPORTANT: Your flight times must match up with: Arrive TSV at 14:05 or earlier. Depart TSV 10:30 or later. You may need to overnight in Townsville either side of the trip if your flight times do not match. • Meals – other than those that are included whilst onboard • Return transfers from the airport to the boat • Drinks, alcohol and softs • Travel insurance ( compulsory) 8 LH 2022 More Fine Print

General Diving Rules

Obviously on all dive tours, safety is our main concern. The quality of diving is guaranteed. We must dive within our limits and stay safe.

Divers MUST have at least Advanced certification, and have be comfortable diving to 28-metres (Yongala), and in current

SCUBA diving will be undertaken in strict “buddy pairs”. Dive briefings will be very detailed. Dives will not be Divemaster led or guided. Most dives are undertaken off the ship, with the RIB only used for pick-ups if current exists or divers get lost.

Snorkellers

Non-Divers, aka Snorkellers, are welcome on the tour. At most dive sites the Coral Reefs are suitable for competent, experienced snorkellers to join us. The “Yongala” doesn’t suit snorkelling, but there could be Humpback whales around

Brilliant snorkelling (only) is allowed with the Minke Whales, and is for everyone onboard

Note that snorkelling activity will not be guided, and as such should be undertaken with a “buddy”, which is highly recommended for safety, and also, vastly increases the overall enjoyment of the day.

Diving Equipment: Cylinders and weights are supplied by the boat.

Divers will need to take all of their own gear with them

Equipment List:

Items in RED are all Compulsory; BCD, Regulator & Octopus Regulator, Submersible Air Pressure Gauge (SPG), Depth Gauge and / or Computer, Whistle, Surface Marker Buoy (SMB), Knife, Torch, Reef Hook could be handy.

Expect 24°-25°C water temp. Wetsuit - 3mm + hooded vest, or 5mm, Boots or Socks & Fins. A GOOD Mask & Snorkel is essential. Masks with a black silicone skirt are far better for snorkelling and SCUBA diving, providing a clear view as they prevent annoying glare entering thru the skirt.

Quest Tours – Forster NSW Australia (Licence number: 2TA 10493)

If you choose to book your own flights, in the event of any schedule changes we will not be responsible for any punitive charges that may be applied by other travel agents or airlines.

Travel Insurance Travel insurance is compulsory on all of our tours. We strongly recommend taking out travel insurance at the same time as paying your deposit. We advise to take out insurance that will cover you at the time of taking out your policy and until your tour’s return date. We suggest carefully checking conditions of any travel insurance you may be considering.

Please note that DAN Insurance do not cover you for things such as flight cancellations, lost baggage or similar. They only cover you for diving related injuries. We recommend additional insurance to cover cancellations, airline changes and baggage if you wish to use DAN.

COVID 19:

Tour going ahead is contingent upon there being no travel restrictions applying at the time, which would prevent a safe and successful adventure. Note that Townsville & the GBR are considered to be part of QLD, Australia, and as such are bound by QLD Government rules and regulations.

In the event of the GBR Liveaboard cancellation due to Covid 19 restrictions, transfers to a later date or full refunds of monies paid will be available 9

Great Barrier Reef Liveaboard MOUA, Dwarf Minke Whales & Shipwreck “SS Yongala” 2022

The wreck of “SS Yongala” is teeming with life, schools of Barracuda, curious Giant Potato Cod, Maori Wrass, Flowery Cod, Turtles, Coral Trout, Giant Stingrays and Manta Rays all call the “Yongala” home.

Pics by Ron Hunter here all taken on our last tour to “SS Yongala”

Pics of MOUA courtesy MOUA, “Kalinda” Owner / Skipper Dave Stewart & Tropical North Qld Tourism

Tour cost: $2,190 Quad-share, $2,890 Twin-share, Plus Airfares Suitable flights are available ex Melbourne, Sydney, & Brisbane Dates: Monday 13th – Monday 20th June, 2022

Quest Tours PH : +61 2 6554 7478

[email protected] | www.questtours.com.au