DIVE LOG AUSTRALASIA FEB 2025 ISSUE 410

Great adventures on The Spirit of Freedom.

text and photos by Mike Scotland

Epinephelus sp. is often called the camouflage cod for obvious reasons.

T he greatest adventures of all may be climbing Mt Everest, trekking the South pole or a week on the Great Barrier Reef on board The Spirit of Freedom.

The Spirit of Freedom does a seven-day itinerary from Cairns to Lizard Island to Osprey Reef and back down the Ribbon reefs, weather permitting of course. Guests can opt for the three-day part and disembark at Lizard Island for the flight back to Cairns and others opt for embarkation on board from Lizard Island for the extended four day return trip via Osprey Reef. The sojourn to Lizard Island was a nice mini-break from being at sea. We did the lookout walk and

heard the sad story of Mrs Watson and her long and painful death after having to escape the island. We dived Snake Pit between Lizard and the reef followed by a double dive at the Cod Hole. Conditions were excellent with full sunshine and protected seas. The Cod Hole is an excellent example of the super powers of the Great Barrier Reef. The ability of the reef to regenerate and regrow should never be underestimated. We had the evidence on show. The corals were healthy, the fish life was abundant and

Banner fish in formation

Pair of Six Banded Angelfish

70

DIVE LOG Australasia #410 - December ‘25