Nimrod Explorer
The Nimrod Explorer offers trips from 4 to 8 days along the Ribbon Reefs to Cooktown, the Cod Hole and even farther north, to the rarely visited northern reaches of the Great Barrier Reef approaching Papua New Guinea. 7-day Coral Sea trips depart every two weeks, and offer the chance to experience the large pelagics and awesome visibility of the Coral Sea’s Osprey Reef; at certain times of the year, manta rays, rare dwarf minke whales and other large pelagics offer a variety of experiences befitting the world’s largest barrier reef system.
Staffed by a crew of six, the Nimrod Explorer is ideally sized and equipped both for shorter trips for travelers passing through Cairns, to longer expeditions to the far reaches of the Great Barrier Reef. A twin-engine power catamaran, the vessel is spacious and very stable, and offers amenities normally seen on much larger boats. Guests are accommodated in 3 large double and 3 spacious quadruple cabins, each of which has ensuite facilities and plenty of storage. For longer trips, two of the three quadruple staterooms can be converted to spacious double staterooms.
The nicely-appointed main salon offers dining and relaxation areas, as well as a well-equipped entertainment center and bar area. The large shaded top deck offers an open-air respite from the sun, while the expansive bow serves as a welcome warm-up between dives.
Four to five dives are conducted daily directly from the expansive aft dive deck, with entries made directly off of the twin dive platforms into the water. The vessel is well-stocked with quality diving gear for each guest for those passing through the area as part of a longer trip; nonetheless, the crew’s experience and qualifications are well suited for those traveling specifically to experience one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World. PADI courses from open water certification through advanced and specialty courses, as well as solo diving courses, are also offered.
For liveaboard diving enthusiasts, the Far Northern Great Barrier Reef and Coral Sea represent the ultimate dive vacation. Visiting pristine dive sites inaccessible to any land-based operators, the Nimrod Explorer ventures where few other liveaboard dive vessels do, and offers a comfortable and affordable way to join a small group of people experiencing the dive trip of a lifetime.
