You couldn’t ask for better conditions! We had the time of our lives on the four day Bunker Group dive trip just after Easter.
Here we are aboard Big Cat on the first night, all the crew discussing the plan of attack over the next four days. We are faced with fantastic weather for the next day. Our only question is “Where do we dive first”
Day 1 ‘Lady Musgrave Island’
After steaming through the night we wake up to still water and no wind. We couldn’t believe our eyes. The conditions were perfect!
We all eagerly gear up and hit the water as quick as we can and wow! What a dive. The water was crystal clear, 50m vis and the temperature was about 25c.
I was sent here to work... yeah right. Here I am on the Great Barrier Reef with 24 passengers and 9 other crew all here for the same reason and we have 16 more dives exactly like the first one to come.
Day 2 ‘Fairfax Island’
A short steam across to Fairfax Island with more fantastic diving, still no wind and flat sea. Another great day ahead.
Towards the afternoon a few had chosen to dive and others had been ferried across to Fairfax Lagoon for a snorkel. After about two hours of splashing around we hear the whistle sound on the Big Cat. This is our signal to make our way back to the pickup point to be taken back to the ship.
We look up and over towards Lady Musgrave to see a large storm cell heading our direction. Our leisurely walk back along the Island now becomes a faster pace so we can have all on board before we are greeted with the heavy rain.
As the night progressed the storm had passed and by the next day we found ourselves back in the great weather we started with.
Day 3 ‘Lady Elliott Island’
What can I say...? “Wish you were here” Absolutely magnificent! We couldn’t have planned a better time to visit this part of the GBR. Visibility was still around the 50m. Here we are diving in and out of blow holes, caves coral gardens stretching for as far as you could see then beyond, as many species of fish you could imagine, sea snakes, turtles, sharks, manta ray the list goes on and on. We still have another night dive to come.
After we all settle back down for the evening we head to the upper deck of the Big Cat to enjoy a great meal. The crew prepared a fantastic BBQ diner and a special bonus as luck would have it we had been in the right place at the right time to receive some Spanner Crab and King Prawns caught only hours before. This was a fantastic meal.
Day 4 ‘Lady Elliott Island’
The conditions were so good that James (Skipper) was able to place the Big Cat on top of the best diving in the world. Usually wind and current prevent such locations however this was quote “Discovery Channel stuff”
We ended the diving with a shallow dive upon the wreck of the “Severence” The 'Severence' is a two masted sailing boat which sunk off the island in 1998. 'Severence' is still very much undamaged and remnants of the sails can even be seen.
A big congratulation goes to Beverly Jackson, Jonathan Warren and Stephanie Batterham for completing their Advanced Open Water aboard the Big Cat What a fantastic way to progress with your diving qualifications.
I would like to thank the Big Cat crew James, Olli, Mal, Mick, Laurie and Kelly for putting on a great trip also the DM’s Justen and Beau for working hard over the four days and nights and Josh Jensen from Undersea Productions for filming the trip and making a fantastic DVD.

Breen Delfino
DEEP