Date & Time:

• 25 Jun – 3 Jul 2023 (Rodney Fox).

Dive Site: A six-day live-aboard expedition on the MV Rodney Fox to Neptune Island, South Australia. Tour includes 5 days of great white shark (GWS) diving including cage diving from the ocean floor (~20 m of water) and surface cage diving. There are only 5 sites globally for cage diving GW sharks (Neptune Islands, Australia; Guadalupe Island, Mexico; Farallon Islands, USA; Dyer Island, South Africa and False Bay, South Africa). Neptune Island, Australia is the only location globally for cage diving on the ocean floor. The super-giant females (up to 6 metres) are viewed from the bottom cage while the smaller males (up to 5 metres) are present at the surface cage. An Australian sea lion dive or two is also available at Hopkins Island enroute to Neptune Island.

This is peak season for the GW sharks as the sea lion pups are born in January but do not enter the water until April. This is when the super-giant female arrive at Neptune Island.

Diver grades: Ocean diver and above. Depth ranges from 0.4 to ~20 m. The Whyalla dive site is a shallow reef < 20 m for the cuttle fish.

Back up dive sites: As dictated at the Hopkin and Neptune Islands dive site by weather. Sites include North and South Neptune Islands, reef, weed bank and sand.

Whyalla Dive site is Port Lowly and surrounding reefs.  

Organiser: Tigga (Dive Leader).

Cost: From $3,295 depending on your accommodation on MV Rodney Fox. Book direct. 

The guided cuttle fish dive in Whyalla is $190 pp enroute to Port Lincoln from Adelaide. 

Extra Costs:

• Airfares – Brisbane to Adelaide. Then 40-minute QANTAS link or REX flight from Adelaide to Port Lincoln.
• Split Minibus hire from Adelaide to Port Lincoln to dive the cuttle fish at Whyalla. Between the months of May to August, we can stop off at Whyalla to dive and witness the world’s largest spawning of mating cuttlefish. Diving through Whyalla Diving Services.
• Accommodation in Whyalla overnight.
• Accommodation at the Marina Hotel, Port Lincoln overnight so we are at rendezvous for the MV Rodney Fox on time.
• Equipment hire.
• BYO alcohol and incidental meals.

Dive Shop:

Website: www.rodneyfox.com.au 

Rodney Fox Shark Expeditions. 107 Henley Beach Rd, Mile End, SA 5031

Tel: 08 8363 1788

Whyalla Diving Services. https://whyalladivingservices.com.au/about-the-giant-cuttlefish/

33B Playford Ave, 5600 Whyalla, SA.

Tel: 0419 174 799

Travel/Address for Sat Nav:

• Drive time is approximately ~7 hours (unless you fly from Adelaide to Port Lincoln [40 minutes] and skip the cuttle fish dive).
• Most flights arrive mid-afternoon in Adelaide. Assemble at Adelaide airport. 4-hour drive to Whyalla for an overnight stay if you decide to dive the cuttle fish dive site.
• Diving in Whyalla for cuttle fish is ~4 hours (morning dive).
• Continue from Whyalla to Port Lincoln is ~3 hours.
• We stay overnight in Port Lincoln before joining the Rodney Fox tour the following day. This means a day in Port Lincoln.
• Address of meeting point Rodney Fox Tour: Marina Hotel, 13 Jubilee Drive, 5606, Port Lincoln.
• Please drive carefully and take breaks every 2 hours as recommended.
• Single driving is discouraged with the distance involved from Adelaid to Port Lincoln.

Accommodation:

• We will be accommodated on the MV Rodney Fox during the tour.
• There is a mixture of berths. 9 guest cabins. 6 double/twin top deck, 2 lower deck twin singles, 1 top deck master ensuite.
• Room allocation: As per your booking.
• Plan to arrive prior to the Rodney Fox Tour commencing if you plan to do the Cuttlefish Dive at Whyalla enroute to Port Lincoln. Suggested accommodation is the Marina Hotel (meeting point for the Rodney Fox Tour) at Port Lincoln.
• You do not need to take towels for personal use or diving.

Food/Alcohol:

• Food and snacks are provided on the MV Rodney fox.
• If you have any other preferences for food, allergies or intolerance please advise or BYO.
• Ship’s Bar only policy on the MV Rodney Fox. You do not want to fall off the MV Rodney Fox while intoxicated. You cannot outswim the GW Sharks circling the boat.

Gas/weights: Provided by MV Rodney Fox and the Whyalla Dive Service.

Equipment:

• Warm clothing including wind proof jacket/beanie. We are steaming into the Southern Ocean in winter.
• Comfortable flat shoes
• Hawaiian shirts. First night on the MV Rodney Fox is Hawaiian themed (as we sail south away from Hawaii)
• Dive certification card (required for ocean floor cage dive)
• Full SCUBA kit (or can be hired onboard MV Rodney Fox or Whyalla Dive Services)
• Camera
• Sunglasses – polarized recommended
• Batteries for camera. 240 V in each cabin for recharging
• Sunscreen and hats
• Personal medication and toiletries
• BSAC membership card.
• Hood, gloves, thick wetsuit or dry suit (recommended). Water temp can drop to 12°C on the ocean floor with thermoclines and is 15-16°C in the surface cage and you are not finning in the cages.
• Anti-motion sickness medication. This is the Southern Ocean. Part of the voyage takes us through the “Thorny Passage” and you will be on a vessel that will pitch and roll while steaming.
• Water bottle.
• RAT test(s) – Rodney Fox policy for boarding.

COVID-19 policy: Rodney Fox has a strict COVID-19 policy here: https://rodneyfox.com.au/covid-19-policy/

Be prepared to:

• Show proof of current SARS-CoV-2 vaccination
• Bring a RAT test on board and undertake the test and show the crew. Only guests with a non-detectable RAT result are permitted to embark
• Bring own mask and snorkel (or purchase on board).
• Bring own regulators (for the ocean floor cage). Can supply.
• Advise staff of cold or flu-like symptoms prior to embarkation.

Hiring of Equipment: Equipment will be booked through Rodney Fox and Whyalla Dive Services website.

Buddy pairs: As determined on the day.

SEEDS brief: Safety and Diving Brief will be given by MV Rodney Fox staff and the staff at the Whyalla Dive Services.

Schedules:

• Fly to Adelaide Sunday morning 25^th June and meet at Adelaide airport. Collect mini-bus and drive to Whyalla (~4 hours) for overnight stay.
• Meet at Whyalla Dive Services on Monday morning 26th June at 0800 ACST. Dive 4 hours. Drive 3 hours to Port Lincoln.
• Overnight in Port Lincoln at the Marina Hotel on Monday 26^th June.
• Free time in Port Lincoln. Meet at 1815 ACST on Tuesday 27^th June 2023.
• Return to Port Lincoln at 2000 ACST on Sunday 2^nd July.
• Overnight in Port Lincoln at the Marina Hotel.

Depart Port Lincoln early for Adelaide on Monday 3^rd July. Catch last flight out (~1740 ACST) from Adelaide to Brisbane.