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Diving Moore Reef off Cairns

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Diving Moore Reef off Cairns Empty Diving Moore Reef off Cairns

Post  ianqld 26th June 2011, 11:17 am

We got the chance for a family escape to Cairns for a week without the kids, it was a sightseeing holiday, but I did score a day off to get out to the reef for a dive.
The weather was nice and sunny but the winds were up to 25knots. I didn't feel like bouncing around on a boat between dives so the decision was easy, head out to the platform at Moore Reef with Reef Magic.
The water was a nice warm 25 degrees, but the visibility was only 10 to 15 metres.
With the tide dropping and the current running it was decided to do the first dive as an easy drift dive on a place called The Pressure Point. There were only three certified divers and two dive guides. The boat dropped us off at the designated spot. One guide led the way with the other guide following up the rear with the dive flag on a reel line. Somewhere along the dive we lost the rear guide when the line to the dive flag got caught up in coral and he had to untangle it then get picked up by the dive tender.
We were approach by a six foot whaler shark, but it wouldn't let us get close enough to photograph it. As soon as we tried to get closer it took off and didn't return.
The four of us continued the drift dive until the least experience diver ran low on air and we had to surface after only 30 minutes, it was still a very enjoyable dive.
We were dropped back at the platform to relax before the second dive after lunch.

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With an hour before lunch I decided to enjoy a snorkel in the closed area at the platform. I was a nice easy walk down the stairs to the water.
There was lots of coral and fish in the area with a maximum depth of 7 metres.

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After enjoying a buffet lunch it was time to get back onto the tender and head over to a place called The Wall.
This was also a drift dive, but the location was much better. The senior guide took control of the dive flag this time and it was decided that once a diver ran low on air they would return with one of the guides to the tender and the others could continue the dive.
We also had another trainee guide who was doing research on Crown of Thorn and a snail pest.
This worked out well, the first diver ran low on air and surfaced with the junior guide and then the second diver ran low and surfaced with the research diver leaving me to enjoy another ten minute before surfacing with the senior guide. This was one of the better dives I have enjoyed, it was a pity the visibility was only 15 metres.

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The diver doing research with a container to inject the pests

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Returning to the Reef Platform, a comfortable way to enjoy the day on the reef.

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By 3 o'clock the tide had dropped so much it exposed the coral at the Platform.

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At 3:30 we were due to leave for the one and a half hour return journey to Cairns, but the boat had trouble with one of the engines.
Finally we got underway on only one engine. It was a long trip back taking three hours, but it was very comfortable as we didn't crash through the waves.



ianqld
ianqld

Posts : 55
Join date : 2009-09-11
Location : Townsville

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