Product Name:
Cairns – Minke Whale Dive Expeditions 2026
FROM: $2,900.00
Swim with Minke Whales on the Great Barrier Reef. For a few weeks each winter, dwarf minke whales migrate through the remote Ribbon Reefs. This seasonal expedition from Cairns combines snorkelling and diving with rare, whale-led encounters — no dive certification required, and most interactions happen at the surface.
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$2,900.00
All Prices in Australian Dollars.
Camera Special
*FREE UNDERWATER CAMERA HIRE
Book your Cairns reef tour with us, you must spend over $550.00 AUD to receive our 1 x Free Cairns Underwater Camera Hire. Only when you book online thru our website. You must come into our Cairns Esplanade Shop to pick up the camera the day before departure day before 5:30 pm. You also need to supply your own SD Card. Reserve your camera today!
*Not valid for any tours visiting the islands. Fine white sand damages the seals on the cameras and makes them leak!
Do you need help choosing a trip?
Can't decide? We have personally been on every Cairns reef and diving trip. We can help you choose the best tour, to suit your experience and budget.
Where do all Cairns Reef tours depart from? Check-in: Reef Fleet Terminal (map + instructions)
Product Name:
Cairns – Minke Whale Dive Expeditions 2026
Tour Type: 4 Day / 3 Night Trip - Operates: JUNE & JULY 2026 - Departs: Thursdays 11.30 am - Returns: Sundays 11:45 am - Transfers: Yes, from Cairns Hotel.
Swim with Minke Whales on the Great Barrier Reef. For a few weeks each winter, dwarf minke whales migrate through the remote Ribbon Reefs. This seasonal expedition from Cairns combines snorkelling and diving with rare, whale-led encounters — no dive certification required, and most interactions happen at the surface.
| AVAILABLE ON THIS TOUR: | |
|---|---|
| Scuba Diving & Snorkelling: Certified Open Water divers (or higher) are welcome. Snorkellers are also fully catered for — no dive certification required. | All Snorkel Equipment Included: Mask, snorkel, fins and flotation devices are provided at no extra cost. |
| Meals Included: Freshly prepared hot and cold breakfasts, morning tea, lunch, afternoon tea and dinner are included throughout the trip. | Dive Supervision: Dives are not fully guided, however professional instructors are in the water on every dive and provide excellent, detailed dive briefings. |
| Private Cabin Bathrooms: All cabins feature private ensuite bathrooms with hot showers and toilets. | Full Dive Gear Hire Available: Complete scuba equipment rental is available for an additional cost (see onboard price list). |
| Underwater Photography Friendly: Dedicated camera rinse buckets and camera preparation areas are available onboard. | Remote Outer Reef Locations: Dive and snorkel the Ribbon Reefs, including iconic sites such as Steve’s Bommie, Lighthouse Bommie and Challenger Bay. |
Cairns Minke Whale Dive Trips (June & July 2026)
Swim with Dwarf Minke Whales on the Great Barrier Reef! Every winter, something extraordinary happens on the Great Barrier Reef. Between June and July, dwarf minke whales migrate through the remote Ribbon Reefs, creating one of the rarest and most awe-inspiring wildlife encounters available anywhere in the world. For a short window each year, snorkellers and divers from Cairns have the chance to share the water with these curious, intelligent whales — often at arm’s length, and always on the whales’ terms.
Our Cairns Minke Whale Dive Trips combine this once-in-a-lifetime experience with world-class liveaboard diving on the Ribbon Reefs and Coral Sea, aboard the renowned Spirit of Freedom.
Who This Trip Is For
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Snorkellers – no dive certification required
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Certified divers with recent ocean experience
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Wildlife lovers seeking a rare, natural whale encounter
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Experienced travellers wanting remote reef diving, not crowded day trips
Most close minke whale encounters happen while snorkelling at the surface, making this trip accessible even if you don’t dive.
The Minke Whale Experience
Dwarf minke whales are known for their curiosity and calm behaviour around humans. Unlike many whale encounters around the world, these interactions are not chase-based.
Instead:
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Guests enter the water quietly
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Whales are free to approach or leave at any time
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Encounters can last minutes… or hours
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Every interaction is unique
This activity is strictly regulated by the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority, and Spirit of Freedom operates under a special research permit, contributing data to the ongoing Minke Whale Project.
You are not just observing — you are participating in a globally recognised conservation and research program.
Diving & Snorkelling on the Ribbon Reefs
When whales aren’t present, the focus returns to what this region does best:
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Pristine Ribbon Reef dive sites
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Dramatic walls, caves and bommies
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Excellent winter visibility
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Iconic sites like The Cod Hole
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Healthy coral and large marine life
Depending on trip length and whale activity, you can expect approximately 11–26 dives/snorkels across the expedition.
Liveaboard Comfort Onboard Spirit of Freedom
This is not a basic dive boat — it’s a purpose-built Coral Sea liveaboard, designed for comfort, safety, and long-range expeditions.
Onboard inclusions:
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Private or shared cabins with daily service
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Chef-prepared meals and snacks
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Complimentary Australian wine or soft drinks with dinner
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Spacious dive deck and relaxation areas
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Professional, highly experienced crew
Seasonal & Safety Information
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Operates: June & July only (strictly seasonal)
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Water temperature: Winter conditions, wetsuit recommended
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Fitness level: Moderate to good
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Whale encounters: Always passive and whale-led
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Safety: Crew briefings and protocols are mandatory
Swimming with minke whales is a controlled wildlife interaction. Guests must follow crew instructions at all times to protect both participants and whales.
What’s Included
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All meals, snacks, wine & soft drinks with dinner
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Tanks, air fills, weights & weight belts
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Nautilus LifeLine marine GPS
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Daily cabin service
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Cairns city hotel or airport transfers
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All reef levies, fees & GST
Full dive equipment hire available if required.
Dive Experience Recommendations
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Snorkellers: Welcome
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Divers:
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Open Water certified
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Minimum 10 ocean dives, including 5 dives in the past 12 months
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Confident with independent buddy diving
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These trips do not operate as fully guided dive tours. If you prefer guided diving, we recommend a Great Barrier Reef day trip before your liveaboard.
Medical & Fitness Requirements
Scuba diving is a physical activity. If you:
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Have a medical condition
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Are taking prescription medication
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Have not dived recently
You may require medical clearance. We’re happy to advise — just contact us before booking.
Available Trip Lengths
Minke Whale expeditions operate as modified versions of Spirit of Freedom’s classic itineraries:
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3-Night Ribbon Reefs / Cod Hole
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4-Night Coral Sea
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7-Night Cod Hole & Coral Sea
Each itinerary balances premium diving with flexible scheduling to maximise whale interaction time when conditions allow.
2026 Minke Whale Dive Trip Availability (June & July 2026)
| Departure Date | Month | Spots Available |
|---|---|---|
| Thursday, 4 June 2026 | June | 8 spots |
| Thursday, 11 June 2026 | June | 6 spots |
| Thursday, 25 June 2026 | June | 2 spots |
| Thursday, 9 July 2026 | July | 4 spots |
| Thursday, 16 July 2026 | July | 6 spots |
| Thursday, 23 July 2026 | July | 6 spots |
Don’t leave it too late to book! These trips book out well in advance!
All prices in Australian Dollars:
| CHOOSE OPTION | PRICE | TOTAL DIVES |
|---|---|---|
| CERTIFIED DIVER: | ||
| 3 Day/2 Night Diver TWIN Cabin (Share with another person) | $2,900.00 | 11 dives |
| 3 Day/2 Night Diver DOUBLE Cabin (Based on 2 people traveling together) | $2,900.00 | 11 dives |
| SNORKELER: | - | - |
| 3 Day/2 Night Snorkel TWIN Cabin (Share with another person) | $2,700.00 | - |
| 3 Day/2 Night Snorkel DOUBLE Cabin (Based on 2 people traveling together) | $2700.00 | - |
| EXTRAS: | ||
| Full Dive Gear Hire | $155.00 | - |
| Nitrox Tank Fills | $135.00 | - |
All prices in Australian Dollars.
We accept VISA, MC, AMEX, UNION PAY
With no booking fees!
1 x FREE Underwater Camera Hire!
Enjoy 1 x FREE Underwater Camera Hire: Only when you book your reef tour with us and spend over $550. Conditions Apply! Only available on reef tours.
Itinerary:
3-Night Minke Whale Itinerary (Overview)
Thursday – Departure from Cairns
Your adventure begins in Cairns as you board Spirit of Freedom and head north toward the remote Ribbon Reefs. After settling into your cabin and completing safety briefings, the focus turns to your first snorkelling and dive sessions — with every opportunity taken to maximise time in the water if minke whales are located.
As night falls, enjoy a freshly prepared dinner on board as the vessel continues its journey deeper into the northern Great Barrier Reef.
Friday & Saturday – Ribbon Reefs & Minke Whale Encounters
These full days are spent exploring some of the best dive sites on the Ribbon Reefs, an area renowned for clear winter visibility, dramatic reef structure and abundant marine life.
When dwarf minke whales are present, the itinerary becomes flexible — allowing extended surface snorkelling sessions where whales can approach naturally and on their own terms. Between whale encounters, you’ll enjoy a mix of snorkelling and diving, relaxed surface intervals, and evenings spent unwinding on board with gourmet meals and a great crew atmosphere.
Every day is different, shaped by weather conditions, whale activity, and the goal of creating the best possible in-water experience.
Sunday – Lizard Island & Scenic Flight to Cairns
After breakfast, you’ll farewell Spirit of Freedom and step ashore at Lizard Island. If time and conditions allow, guests can enjoy a guided walk from Watson’s Beach to Mary Watson’s Cottage, crossing Chinaman’s Ridge for sweeping island views before arriving at the airstrip.
From here, you’ll board a light aircraft for a scenic one-hour flight back to Cairns, offering stunning aerial views of the Great Barrier Reef. On arrival at Cairns General Aviation Airport, the Spirit of Freedom courtesy transfer will return you to your Cairns city accommodation, typically between 11:15 am and 11:45 am.
Diving:
For Certified Divers – Why This Trip Is Extra Special Underwater
For certified divers, a minke whale expedition offers something truly unique: the chance to combine world-class Ribbon Reef diving with one of the rarest marine mammal encounters on Earth. While whale interactions often happen at the surface, being able to scuba dive allows you to fully explore the dramatic walls, bommies and swim-throughs of the northern Great Barrier Reef in between encounters. Sites in this region are known for excellent winter visibility, healthy coral systems, large fish life and iconic locations such as the Cod Hole, where resident potato cod frequently interact with divers.
Diving from a remote liveaboard also means fewer boats, flexible schedules and access to sites that day trips simply can’t reach. Certified divers benefit from longer bottom times, varied dive profiles and the freedom of independent buddy diving in pristine conditions. When whale activity slows, the quality of the diving alone makes this expedition exceptional — and when the whales do appear, you’re already positioned in one of the most spectacular underwater environments the Great Barrier Reef has to offer.
Snorkeling:
Snorkelling with Minke Whales – Why This Trip Is Perfect for Non-Divers
You don’t need to be a scuba diver to experience the magic of swimming with dwarf minke whales. In fact, snorkellers often enjoy the very best encounters on these trips. Minke whales typically approach calmly at the surface, meaning most close interactions happen while snorkelling — not on scuba. This makes the experience incredibly accessible, immersive, and natural, even if you’ve never dived before.
The Ribbon Reefs also offer outstanding snorkelling conditions during winter, with excellent visibility, calm surface conditions, and vibrant coral just below the surface. Between whale encounters, snorkellers can explore shallow reef systems teeming with marine life, enjoy extended time in the water, and relax on board in comfort. With expert crew support, strict wildlife protocols, and a flexible itinerary that prioritises in-water time when whales are present, this is widely regarded as one of the best whale-snorkelling experiences anywhere in the world.
Customer Reviews:
CUSTOMER TOUR REVIEWS & FEEDBACK
Customer reviews are written by our customers using our 1 x FREE Digital Underwater Camera Hire Service. Remember to collect our camera you do need to come into our shop the day before departure day before 5:30 pm to pick up the camera. You also need to supply your own SD camera card.
By: Nathan
Staff Service - 5 out of 5
Reef Quality - 5 out of 5
Vaue For Money - 5 out of 5
Overall Rating - 5 out of 5
Travelled on: 19/07/2019
Had an amazing trip out on the Ocean Quest scuba diving and snorkeling with Dwarf minke whales and at some of the best reef diving, the Great Barrier Reef has to offer. This was all organized through Clint who did an amazing job making sure we were ready for the trip and had everything we needed, including loan of an underwater camera (plus tips on…
By: Jorja
Staff Service - 5 out of 5
Reef Quality - 5 out of 5
Vaue For Money - 5 out of 5
Overall Rating - 5 out of 5
Travelled on: 19/07/2019
Shoutout to Clint from Cairns dive adventures for helping us book this trip from pre planning to post trip! We hired a camera from Clint who gave us lots of helpful tips as well which was amazing. Ocean Quest; Catered for vegans, and had some amazing yummy food cooked by the chef. Amazing dive spots with abundance of marine life our favourite was lighthouse Bommie…
By: Brian Rasmussen
Staff Service - 5 out of 5
Reef Quality - 5 out of 5
Vaue For Money - 5 out of 5
Overall Rating - 5 out of 5
Travelled on: 15/06/2018
Amazing trip! Clint listened to what I was looking for and recommended this trip. I couldn’t have been happier. The boat, crew, equipment, dive sites, food, accommodations, and whale experts were first rate. I would recommend this without hesitation. Thanks for the memories!!
Full Reviews:
CAIRNS DIVE ADVENTURES TRIP REVIEWS:
Here you will find our dive trip reviews. Our staff have completed over 700 dives on the Great Barrier Reef. We love our scuba diving and we love to write reviews on what you can expect to see and do on a dive trip. See our full range of Cairns Dive Adventures trip reviews.
Minke whale expedition
By Richard |
Amazing trip! Clint listened to what I was looking for and recommended this trip. I couldn’t have been happier. The boat, crew, equipment, dive sites, food, accommodations, and whale experts were first rate. I would recommend this without hesitation. Thanks for the memories!!
Spirit of Freedom – 3 Day Diving Review
By Julie |
Spirit of Freedom is a professional operator committed to the protection of the Great Barrier Reef and delivering their guests a luxurious, first class experience in paradise. The boat is spacious and comfortable. The dive deck, equipment, briefings and crew are modern, friendly and informative. They even help you put on and take off your...
Spirit of Freedom – 4 Day Liveaboard Dive Review
By Julie |
Spirit of Freedom’s liveaboard trips to the Coral Sea and Ribbon Reefs, offer the ultimate in luxury diving. The 4 day / 4 night trip from Cairns departs on Thursday and returns Monday. It includes a scenic aerial flight along Queensland’s north-eastern coastline and allows for up to 15 dives, including night dives. Cabins are…
Spirit of Freedom – Coral Sea Review
By Julie |
The Coral Sea delivers adventure diving by the bucket load with its reef sharks and 1,000m wall drop-offs. We were extremely lucky with the weather, enjoying flat seas, blue water and unbelievable visibility for the entire trip. For those who had booked a 7-day trip, they had also seen (snorkeled and dived) with a Whale...
All prices in Australian Dollars.
We accept VISA, MC, AMEX, UNION PAY with no booking fees.
Choose your options on the booking form.
Press the red book now button.
Remember to try any form of scuba diving everyone needs to be medically fit with no asthma and not be taking any prescription medication. PADI recommends allowing up to 24 hours after diving before flying in an airplane. Some tour operators have a no refund policy for any dives not completed for whatever reason. Please note the art of freediving is not permitted on any of the day boats or liveaboard dive boats from Cairns & Port Douglas. With the high instances of (shallow water blackout) companies do not allow this for safety reasons. It is highly recommended that passengers take out full comprehensive travel insurance for all tours and travel arrangements.
Do you have Medical Issues:
Please note if you have any medical issues you will need to go see your local GP where you live and get them to write you a letter on the practice letterhead signed and dated by your doctor that you are “Fit to dive” If you have one of these letters then all dive companies in Cairns will take you diving. Please note these letters are only valid for three months from their date of issue.
Cancelations and refunds; please note you need to give more than 30 days’ notice if you wish to cancel your trip and get a refund. Please note within 30 days’ notice of travel Divers Den does impose a no re-fund cancelation policy.
Inclusions: Accommodation, all chef-prepared meals, and all snorkel gear.
Satellite view of the tour location:
Special
FREE UNDERWATER CAMERA HIRE*
Spend over $550.00 AUD on your Great Barrier Reef tour with us and receive the latest Digital Underwater Camera Hire. Take amazing High-Resolution images and 1080 HD Video. Only when you book online thru our website.
Not available for any tours to the Islands as fine white sand damages the seals on the cameras and makes them leak!
You need to come into our shop located on the Cairns Esplanade the day before departure to pick up the camera before 5:30 pm. You also need to supply your own SD Camera Card and drop the camera off back at our shop before 5:30pm.
Please Remember there is no other way to collect our cameras! All passengers must come into our shop the day before departure day before 5:30 pm.
