13-Day Great Barrier Reef Marine Conservation Program from Cairns

13 days

About this activity

Arrive in Cairns on day 1 and meet your guide that afternoon for your welcome briefing. The next 5 days are dedicated to your learn-to-dive adventure. If you are doing your Open Water course you will spend the next 2 days doing theory and pool after which you will head out on a 3-day/ 2-night live aboard trip to the Great Barrier Reef trip. Participants doing their Advanced Open Water, Nitrox or Rescue courses will join the Open Water students on the boat, and complete their respective courses while on the reef.

After your diving trip enjoy a free day in Cairns. In the evening on day 7 you get to enjoy a Marine Biology presentation, which will prepare you for the conservation part of the trip.

The next 4 days will be spent on the 25-metre high performance catamaran Passions of Paradise where you will undertake a number of underwater monitorings of various reef sites under the watchful eye of your eco-guide. Your task will be to complete underwater surveys as divers called Rapid Monitoring. All findings will be uploaded to the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority's database.

The last day is a non-dive day. Participants travel to Fitzroy Island and volunteer at the Cairns Turtle Rehabilitation Centre. Get to know the patients, help out behind the scences and learn about how the hospital functions on a daily basis.

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Included

Accommodation at Gilligans Backpacker Resort (or similar): Options 1 - 4: 10 nights dorm accommodation Option 2: 5 nights dorm accommodation if arriving on day 7 (Certified Divers) Option 3: 1 night dorm accommodation for participants joining the program for one day
Meals as noted in the program (B,L,D)
2-hour Reef Teach educational session
Dive course as stipulated in options 1 – 4. All dive courses include 3 day/ 2 night live aboard reef trip
4 x day trips on Passions of Paradise with a dedicated reef conservation guide doing Eye on the Reef – Rapid Monitoring and other Marine Conservation tasks
Project AWARE Specialist Card (all participants)
Specified number of dives on the Great Barrier Reef
Day trip to Fitzroy Island and visit at the turtle hospital, with hands-on activities (subject to availability on the day)
Conservation program participant certificate and t-shirt (all participants)
Tour coordination and assistance by No Limit Adventures
Breakfast
Lunch
Dinner

Not included

International and domestic flights
Visa fees to Australia (if applicable)
Airport transfers (see Note)
Reef taxes and levies (approx. $80 for the 3D/2N reef trip and $20/ day with Passions of Paradise. TOTAL Reef Fees: AUD$160)
Dive medical costs (if required)
First Aid Certificate cost (only required by participants doing Rescue Dive Course)
Costs of personal nature
Optional activities

Additional

Confirmation will be received within 48 hours of booking, subject to availability
No heart problems or other serious medical conditions
Not wheelchair accessible
Minimum age is 18 years
A minimum of 4 people per booking is required
A maximum of 8 people per booking
Dive Course only – Prior to commencing your dive course you are required to complete a self-assessment Student Diver Medical Declaration. A positive response to any question means that there is a pre-existing condition that may affect your safety while diving and you must consult a medical practitioner preferably with experience in diving medicine to obtain a dive medical certificate that states that you are fit to undertake recreational diver training.
Dive medicals and medical clearance to dive are the responsibility of the participant.
Rescue Diver course commences on Sundays and finishes on Wednesdays.
Program start days: Day 1 should be a Thursday | Day 7 Wednesday
Gilligan’s offers all guests a free one way airport transfer from Cairns airport to the hostel between the hours of 8am to 8pm. For those wanting to take the FREE airport transfer please go to bus bay 6 outside the domestic and international terminals. A booking is required – to do this please go to https://cairnsairportshuttle.com.au/bookings/ and use discount code gilarr57 to ensure you are not charged for the transfer. Maximum of 7 passengers per booking. Please remember to print or save your ticket to present to the bus driver.
Single room upgrades available at the hostel, pending availability and at extra cost
PADI dive courses available: Open Water, Advanced Open Water, Nitrox, Rescue
Number of dives:
Option 1: 17 dives on the Great Barrier Reef (pending weather conditions)
Option 2: 19 dives on the Great Barrier Reef (pending weather conditions)
Option 3: 18 dives on the Great Barrier Reef (pending weather conditions)
Option 4: 19 dives on the Great Barrier Reef (pending weather conditions)
Option 2: 8 dives for Certified Divers arriving on day 7
Option 3: 2 dives for participants joining the program for one day
Program dates 2018:
05 – 17.04.2018 | 24.05. – 05.06. 2018
28.06. – 10.07.2018 | 16 – 28.08.2018 | 13 – 25.09.2018
11 – 23.10.2018 | 01 – 13.11.2018 | 06 – 18.12.2018
No Limit Adventures reserves the right to cancel any departure up to 30 days before the commencement date in case of participant cancellations or not attaining min. numbers.
Deposits will be refunded in such an instance.
No Limit Adventures takes no responsibility for any travel arrangements made outside of the inclusions of the Marine Conservation program.
This experience requires a minimum number of travelers. If it’s canceled because the minimum isn’t met, you’ll be offered a different date/experience or a full refund
This tour/activity will have a maximum of 8 travelers