Mike Ball Dive - 7 Night Ultimate Minke Whale Expedition. This time I went with the superb liveaboard Spoilsport of the Mike Ball Dive Expeditions during the best time of the year to see minke whales underwater. The weather was amazing with only 10-15 knot winds and about 20-30 whales Mike Ball Dive Expeditions, Cairns: Hours, Address, Mike Ball Dive Expeditions Reviews: 5/5. A James Cook University MWP researcher is present on all our minke expeditions. Mike Ball Dive Expeditions operates exciting liveaboard scuba diving expeditions departing from Cairns to some of the best dive sites on the Great Barrier Reef and Coral Sea. Mike Balls runs Minke Whale Tours on their liveaboard boat Spoilsport, 3 or 4 night options or 7 day expeditions . Minke Whale Expedition - 3 Nights 11 - 14 July 2022 "The whole trip exceeded my expectations. Minkes are a sociable mob and like to get together when somethings going on, so before long , the two or three, have become ten or fifteen! The itinerary is dictated by the whales, visiting areas of high Minke activity and our key dive sites. If you could like to contact us before booking, please scroll down the page. This was my first live aboard and I went into it with lots of trepidation. Many of the pieces Dwarf minkes grow up to 26 feet (8 m) and weigh several tons. MANAGE. PhD thesis, James Cook University. Its been a while since I was out diving and snorkelling in the Great Barrier Reef. Karluk One is a late prehistoric wet site with remarkable preservation, especially of wooden artifacts. About. Itineraries & Dive Map. Behaviour of dwarf minke whales (Balaenoptera acutorostrata subsp.) An exhilarating, low-level, scenic flight to Lizard Island begins our adventure. J. CETACEAN RES. 25C / 77F. Just 100 miles north of Cairns, the Ribbons provide a sanctuary from the high seas for what is arguably the most curious creature on earth. The minke whale was first described by the Danish naturalist Otto Fabricius in 1780, who assumed it must be an already known species and assigned his specimen to Balaena Arthur Winsor was a ship captain and I believe this was presented at his retirement. Trip Report Mike Ball Minke Whale Expedition July 10 17, 2017 We just got back from a trip with Mike Ball on the SpoilSport liveaboard out of Cairns Australia. Know Before You Go; Yacht Specs. Everything was wonderful but in particular staff, food, cabin, dive sites and safety procedures. From time to time, Mike Ball arranges special dive expeditions to remote areas of far northern Australia. Photo: Mike Ball: Photographer's: RBA gallery website/blog email : Wood Sandpiper : Taken: Sat, 30 Jul 2022 : Summer Leys (Northamptonshire) Fin Whale : Taken: Thu, 28 Jul 2022 : Tiumpan (Western Isles) Uploaded: Thu, 28 Jul 2022 : One of two large individuals present off the headland for several days. 14 - 18 July 20224 Night - FLY DIVE MINKE WHALE EXPEDITION. Mike immigrated to Australia from the UK, inspired by the stunning reefs to open Far North Queenslands first dive school in 1969. Visibility. The Great Barrier Reef is the only location where snorkel and dive tours with minke whales are available and Mike Ball Dive Expeditions is one of a handful of operators licenced to operate them. Most sightings occur at Ribbon Reef # 10, where some of our best dive sites are. 2021 will be the 26th year Mike Ball Dive Expeditions have supported the James Cook University Minke MWP (Minke Whale Project). Since commencing Minke Whale Expeditions in 1996 we have had a 98% success rate. The largest pod seen was 28 whales, the longest encounter was 10 hours. Every day has a high probability of dwarf minke encounters. Sliding by in epic silence. This PhD Dissertation describes the results of the 1983-85 excavations on the Karluk One site on Kodiak Island, Alaska. 20 metres, 15 metres, 10 metres, 5 metres.Closer and closer until they are within arms reach . These whales are curious and friendly. Guest Reviews. IGUEZ3, AND M. FINKLE1 1 The Humane Society of the United States, 2100 L St NW, Washington DC 20037, USA The Whale Center of New England, PO Box 159, Gloucester MA 01930, USA 3 Fundacin Cethus, Juan de Garay 2861 - associated with a swim-with industry in the northern Great Barrier Reef. Operating since 1986, I have chosen Mike Ball Dive Expeditions to host my Minke Whale odyssey. We've got loads of different trips - choose which one you fancy and then book before it's gone! Those travelling on multi-species trips scored variety particularly well. ROSE1, M. WEINRICH2, M.A. Water temperature. Figure 1: Dwarf minke whale surfacing for a breath. Description: Alexander Henry 450 Express Whaling Gun 29" barrel,brass plate on the stock,"Arthur Winsor Wesleyville 1909" historical gun from the past. Mike Ball Dive Expeditions: Minke whales - See 487 traveler reviews, 262 candid photos, and great deals for Cairns, Australia, at Tripadvisor. 7 Nights / 22 Dives. Since starting minke whale expeditions in 1996, Mike Ball has had a 98 percent success rate in sightings. The best thing was the organisation and information Minke Whale Tours Cairns on Mike Balls liveaboard boat depart from Cairns. It is thought that the Great Barrier Reef dwarf minke whale is related to the North Atlantic minke, or is an un-named species. Mike Ball and myself (photo courtesy of Jayne Jenkins) This week-long trip included loads of amazing experiences. Dwarf Minke Whales in the Great Barrier Reef Jurgen Freund. Mike Ball Dive Expeditions, Deep Sea Divers Den and Tusa Dive. Minke Whale Expedition - 4 Nights 7 - 11 July 2022 "All the diving was absolutely first class! Research. Theyre quite active and agile for whales, in many ways behaving more like dolphins. Mike Ball Dive Expeditions: Minke Whales - See 486 traveler reviews, 262 candid photos, and great deals for Cairns, Australia, at Tripadvisor. Snorkeling with minke whales in Australia off the back of the Mike Ball liveaboard. Alexander Henry 450Ex Whaling Gun Wesleyville 1909. SC/57/WW6 Swim-with-whales tourism an updated review of commercial operations N.A. and they want variety. Mike Ball Dive Expeditions: Minke whales - See 486 traveller reviews, 262 candid photos, and great deals for Cairns, Australia, at Tripadvisor. Caroline Downing. The Dwarf Minke Whales are on the Ribbon Reefs Great Barrier Reef. Every day offers a high probability of whale encounters. Conditions Report. This is the Minke Whale tours Cairns season to the Ribbon Reefs. After 20 or so minutes, the whales begin to swim in ever decreasing circles. 30m / 98ft. While Dwarf Minke whales remained the first priority, many dives on Great Barrier reef and Coral sea were conducted in between encounters. Uncommon surface behaviours. It is from the Newfoundland Seal Hunting Fleet . Mike Ball Dive Expeditions: MINKE WHALES - See 492 traveller reviews, 262 candid photos, and great deals for Cairns, Australia, at Tripadvisor. Every year, for just a short 6 week window, Dwarf Minke whales arrive for their winter layover in the Ribbon Reefs. The number of scuba dives advertised is the approximate number of dives provided but may vary to enable our whale-focused itinerary. The Mi nke Whale tour season runs June and July. June 2022 Minke Whales & Ribbon Reefs Home Join Sundive and Mike Ball for the trip of a lifetime to the Ribbon Reefs of the Great Barrier Reef to see the amazing Minke Whales. Not surprisingly, those on the minke whale trips attributed most of their satisfaction to whales, with an extraordinarily high mean rating of 9.28 out of 10 being recorded by the 562 respondents who had encountered minke whales. The two species of minke whale are the common (or northern) minke whale and the Antarctic (or southern) minke whale. About Mike Ball Dive Expeditions. Donations can be tax deductible for Australian residents. There are two known species of minke whales, the North Atlantic minke whale and the slightly larger Antarctic minke whale. It is thought that the Great Barrier Reef dwarf minke whale is related to the North Atlantic minke, or is an un-named species. Book a boat trip with Cornwall's #1 Seal Life Safari in Padstow. You can expect friendly crew, a spacious dive deck and the chance to dive with some of the most unique marine creatures on earth, including Dwarf Minke Whales and the ancient Nautilus. The minke whale (/ m n k i /), or lesser rorqual, is a species complex of baleen whale. Mike Ball Dive Expeditions: Minke whales - See 487 traveler reviews, 262 candid photos, and great deals for Cairns, Australia, at Tripadvisor. What a trip what a crew what an experience. Boarding Mike Balls custom-built dive boat, the Spoilsport, we are given a dive itinerary outlining the various dive Swimming with the minke whales was the most magical experience." Mike Ball Dive Expeditions: 4 Day Minke Whale - See 491 traveler reviews, 262 candid photos, and great deals for Cairns, Australia, at Tripadvisor. Over the six weeks of dedicated Minke Expeditions, Spoil Sport crew and passengers encountered well over 200 dwarf minke whales and witnessed many incredible behaviours including breaching, spy hopping, pirouetting, and even some very close approaches (within 1 metre!!!). The Minke Whale Project Fund is a non-profit research fund set up by James Cook University to support research into dwarf minke whale biology, behaviour and sustainable tourism interactions. Since commencing Minke Whale Expeditions in 1996 Mike Ball Charters have had a 98% success rate.