What To Expect On A North Horn Liveaboard

North Horn liveaboards will take divers to one of the best dive sites in Australia and possibly the world for shark viewing. If Osprey Reef is on your liveaboard itinerary, then you'll most certainly be visiting here. Famous for it's legendary shark feed, this reef is at the very northern tip of the Great Barrier Reef (GBR) in the Coral Sea. It is located some 350 kilometres from Cairns, therefore is only accessible via a liveaboard diving tour. You'll be wanting to spend at least a few days and nights exploring this remote part of the GBR (most liveaboard cruises here last 5 days, and some up to 8!), so that you can view as much of this underwater paradise as possible.

North Horn and all of the sections of Osprey Reef have almost guaranteed visibility of well in excess of 30 metres, and commonly over 40, ensuring that the full array of marine life will be visible for everyone diving (and also snorkelling). Conditions for liveaboard diving at North Horn are fantastic all year round, with an average water temperature of between a pleasant 25 and 30 degrees celcius. It's isolated position ensures that North Horn is never crowded, and the reef has been able to thrive, remain healthy and support a pristine, biodiverse ecosystem.

What You Can See

One word: SHARKS! North Horn is THE place to view sharks, sharks and more sharks in Australia. Whether you are a lover or hater of these sleek predators, one can only marvel and respect at how elegant they are, as they glide swiftly through the blue with little to no effort. At the edge of the reef, the wall drops to around 1000 metres, creating a natural theatre where Australia's most well known shark feed takes place. There's an incredible range of fish life here, but it'll be the sitings of high numbers of Hammerheads, Grey Reef Sharks, White Tips and Silkys that will ensure this dive remains long in the memory of any underwater enthusiast. The population of sharks here have resulted in their behaviour being monitored as part of a University Research Project. Make sure you have a camera with wide angle lens if possible as you'll want to fit as many of these wonderful creatures into your photos as possible!

Sharks are of course the main attraction here, however they are far from the only residents. Amongst a backdrop of astoundingly colourful and huge soft corals, it's common to see green and loggerhead Turtles and also the occasional majestic Manta Ray. All you really need to do is hover and look around through the crystal clear water to witness all of this, however there are many fabulous shallow caves and deeper overhangs for divers to swim through, adding to the experience.

How To Get To North Horn

The only way to dive at North Horn is by boarding an Australian liveaboard that will sail you to this turquoise speck of the Coral Sea - normally as part of a tour that will also include the magnificent Ribbon Reefs. Some operators will take you on one leg of the journey by boat, and have you complete the other by low level reef flight, allowing you to appreciate the splendour of the GBR from the air.

Liveaboard.com has several boats to choose from, departing from the conveniently situated Queensland town of Cairns. It's a great town to visit in it's own right, but serves mainly as a jumping off point for trips to the Reef. The airport is close by and is served by many international airlines, meaning that most of the time visitors can fly directly here from overseas. There are also regular daily flights from the likes of Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne.