Trip base · Australia
Ribbon Reefs and Osprey Reef
Liveaboard trips from Cairns to the Ribbon Reefs and Osprey Reef. Cod Hole has resident potato cod, and Osprey Reef is a remote Coral Sea atoll with deep drop-offs and shark dives at North Horn.
Good fit for December
Whale sharks
- Strength: 4 of 5 sites are in season in December
- Strength: Water 27–28°C in December
- Trade-off: Rain on about half the days
- Unknown: Whale sharks in December: we don't know yet
Pack a 3 mm wetsuit for December.
Why this match: 28 + 16 + 19 + 8 = 71
- Season28 / 38
- 4 of 5 sites are in season in December; calm on more than half the days.
- Interests16 / 31
- Whale sharks: we don't know yet in December.
- Your level19 / 19
- No level picked, so all 5 sites count.
- Weather8 / 13
- Rain on about half the days; named storm nearby in 7% of years.
Month by month
Season: best November. Marine life uses the same scale (Best = reliable, Good = likely, Possible = possible, Off = not seen; ? = we don't know yet). Water and rain are 1991–2020 averages.
| Month | J | F | M | A | M | J | J | A | S | O | N | D |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | January: Off season | February: Off season | March: Off season | April: Off season | May: Off season | June: Off season | July: Off season | August: Good | September: Good | October: Good | November: Best | December: Good |
| Mantas | January: We don't know yet | February: We don't know yet | March: We don't know yet | April: Possible | May: Possible | June: Possible | July: Possible | August: Possible | September: Possible | October: Possible | November: We don't know yet | December: We don't know yet |
| Whale sharks | January: We don't know yet | February: We don't know yet | March: We don't know yet | April: We don't know yet | May: We don't know yet | June: We don't know yet | July: We don't know yet | August: We don't know yet | September: We don't know yet | October: We don't know yet | November: We don't know yet | December: We don't know yet |
| Hammerheads | January: We don't know yet | February: We don't know yet | March: We don't know yet | April: We don't know yet | May: We don't know yet | June: Possible | July: Possible | August: Possible | September: Possible | October: Possible | November: Possible | December: We don't know yet |
| Reef sharks | January: Reliable | February: Reliable | March: Reliable | April: Reliable | May: Reliable | June: Reliable | July: Reliable | August: Reliable | September: Reliable | October: Reliable | November: Reliable | December: Reliable |
| Turtles | January: Likely | February: Likely | March: Likely | April: Likely | May: Likely | June: Likely | July: Likely | August: Likely | September: Likely | October: Likely | November: Likely | December: Likely |
| Dolphins | January: We don't know yet | February: We don't know yet | March: We don't know yet | April: We don't know yet | May: We don't know yet | June: We don't know yet | July: We don't know yet | August: We don't know yet | September: We don't know yet | October: We don't know yet | November: We don't know yet | December: We don't know yet |
| Water | 29° | 29° | 29° | 28° | 27° | 26° | 25° | 25° | 25° | 26° | 27° | 28° |
| Rain days | 22 | 23 | 23 | 18 | 14 | 13 | 9 | 6 | 4 | 6 | 9 | 16 |
| Calm days | 20 | 18 | 14 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 8 | 10 | 14 | 20 |
| Storm risk | 7% | 13% | 27% | 17% | 7% | – | – | – | – | – | – | 7% |
Rain days: days with 1 mm or more in the ERA5 grid cell (about 30 km across); over tropical seas it counts more light-rain days than a local rain gauge would. Calm days: waves under 1.5 m and wind under 25 km/h. Storm risk: share of years with a named storm within 250 km that month (– means under 5%).
Dive sites here
5 sites on Divetip. Today's Dive scores are for reference only: live scores cover the next 48 hours, not your trip month.
Getting there
Fly to Cairns (CNS). Road to Cairns; liveaboards leave from Trinity Wharf: about 12 minutes.
Liveaboard only.
What diving costs
Liveaboards from about €436 a night, cabin and meals included
Liveaboards
Spirit of Freedom (3-night Cod Hole & Ribbon Reefs): AUD 2,500 for 3 nights (about €1,538)
From price, quad share (standard twin/double 2,900; Ocean View 3,500-3,700). 11 dives incl. 1 night dive. Includes meals, tanks, air fills, weight belt, Nautilus Lifeline, Cairns hotel/airport transfers, GST and all reef levies. Equipment rental extra. Page doesn't say whether the Lizard Island flight is included.
Spirit of Freedom (4-night Coral Sea & Ribbon Reefs, Osprey Reef): AUD 3,200 for 4 nights (about €1,969)
From price, quad share (standard twin/double 3,600; Ocean View 4,450-4,650). Up to 15 dives: Ribbon Reefs 9 & 10, two days at Osprey Reef, Ribbon Reef 3. Includes meals, tanks, air, weight belt, transfer drop-off, GST and reef levies. Equipment rental extra.
Mike Ball Dive Expeditions (Fly Dive Coral Sea, Osprey Reef): AUD 2,835 for 4 nights (about €1,745)
Budget cabin, twin share, April 2026-March 2027 (Club 3,255, Standard 3,602, Premium 3,945). Up to 14 dives. Includes cabin, meals, tanks, air, weight belt, scenic flight Lizard Island-Cairns, transfer after the trip. Excludes gear hire and Environmental Management Fee ($8.50/day in table, $8/day in text).
Prices as published by each operator (a few by a named booking agent), read on 8 November 2026. Euro amounts at the ECB reference rate of 6 November 2026. Park fees, permits and equipment are often extra. Prices change, so check with the operator before you book.
Non-divers: snorkeling by boat only
There is no shore snorkeling; the 3-night Ribbon Reefs liveaboard is described as suitable for snorkellers, but the 4-night Osprey Reef trip is not.
Sources: spiritoffreedom.com.au, spiritoffreedom.com.au
Book your Ribbon Reefs and Osprey Reef trip
- Find Great Barrier Reef trips from Cairns on Klook (partner link, opens in a new tab)
- Search flights on Aviasales (partner link, opens in a new tab)
Partner links: we may earn a commission if you book, at no extra cost to you. Partners never change the ranking.
Where this comes from
- Water temperature: NOAA OISST v2.1 daily sea surface temperature, 1991–2020.
- Storms: NOAA IBTrACS tracks, 1991–2020. Rain, waves and wind: ERA5 reanalysis, 1991–2020. Contains modified Copernicus Climate Change Service information 2026.
- Coral heat stress: No Stress (No heat stress for corals. Satellite data, highest level in the 7 days to 7 November 2026.) Coral bleaching: NOAA Coral Reef Watch daily 5 km Bleaching Alert Area (7-day maximum), checked twice a day.
- Seasons by site: our dive site pages. Getting there: transfer source.
Marine life sources (5 species)
- Mantas: diveworldwide.com, australianmarineparks.gov.au
- Hammerheads: australianmarineparks.gov.au, liveaboard.com, mikeball.com
- Reef sharks: australianmarineparks.gov.au, liveaboard.com, spiritoffreedom.com.au
- Turtles: mikeball.com, australianmarineparks.gov.au, liveaboard.com
- Dolphins: diveworldwide.com
Typical values are 1991–2020 averages and our site seasons. Always check local conditions with your dive centre. Spotted something wrong? Report a correction.