419 Dive Log Australasia AUGUST 2026

Great Barrier Reef on the August

View from the Bridge Trevor Jackson - Spoilsport Skipper www.mikeball.com/blog

PHOTOS FROM MAY/JUNE

by Trevor Jackson “Hello?’… “It is time.” Knock Knock

These are the first sounds of the morning. The night watchkeeper is telling me its 0600….Anchor’s about to come up. 5 steps and I’m on the bridge. A cup of black coffee fogs up the window just in front of the engine panels. Port engine start. Starboard engine start. On the front deck, two crew in beanies and long sleeves watch for the signal. A tiny nod and the anchor chain begins its 5 minute ‘clunk clunk’ on board. Once its locked away, our twin hulled magic carpet does a slow turn to face directly downwind. Moving now. Revs slowly increasing. Our next adventure is 20 minutes away. Through the door the sounds of breakfast being set up. Mostly it’s the clink of cutlery and the hum of a vacuum cleaner. The crew are busy now. On the closed circuit tv, the dive deck are checking that tanks are topped, water tubs are full. A gentle roll has them sloshing about. “What is the tie up skip?” Each time we come to a different mooring, we secure the boat to best suit the terrain and conditions. Each one is unique. “Port side bridle”, I reply. Divers away now. I’m watching the descent from the wheelhouse windows. The water is sapphire blue, viz must be 40 of 50 metres, it gets like that out here…A lot. Little grey torpedoes are darting there and about. They know what’s coming. Some of them are not so little. All of them are ready for the excitement. The dinghy hovers above. A drum filled with tuna heads duck dives into the coming frenzy. The lid is popped, 30 seconds of mad action and its over…the torpedoes go about their business. Some got a feed, many didn’t. We don’t feed them so much that it affects the natural balance. The divers on the bottom fan out. There’s so much to see here at North Horn, all within reach if we don’t dawdle. And always there is that sapphire visibility that shakes our sense of reality. On deck an hour later, the place is humming like a nightclub. It’s all smiles and ‘WOWS’. Happy people in paradise. For me it’s a day at the office. Another knock at the door. Another cup of coffee fogs up the window. Port engine start. Starboard engine start…. our next adventure is 20 minutes away.

1st. Gabriel Gazman

2nd. Jan Culbertson

Check out availability of Expeditions on Spoilsport. www.mikeball.com/availability

3rd. Derek Gil

Matt Curnock

07

DIVE LOG Australasia #419 August ‘26

www.divelog.net.au