The Willis Family, Tasmania -
Minke Whale Expedition Jun 07Just a
short note to say how much we enjoyed our recent trip on Undersea Explorer. The
diving and whale interactions were brilliant, and while we felt we were very
lucky with the weather and the wildlife, we also appreciate the experience and
expertise that goes into planning the itinerary, on the move, in changing
conditions.
Each member of the crew was friendly and professional, and went out of their way
on many occasions to give advice, guidance and interesting insights to ensure
our trip was as safe and as valuable as possible. The diving management and
direct tuition we received was excellent. We especially appreciate the way in
which Emily and Qumar helped our children enjoy their snorkeling. The food was a
highlight, the cooking was varied, always available when required, and
beautifully prepared.
One thing that made the trip all the more enjoyable was the scientific aspect,
we had great interaction with the staff and scientists and other crew members.
This added to our experience because we felt that there was a well defined
purpose to the trip in terms of bringing understanding about whales to a wider
audience through the formal scientific process.
So overall please thank all the staff and crew who make our experience of far
North Queensland and the Great Barrier Reef one of the best holiday experiences
of our lives. I would be more than pleased to offer references for your services
at anytime in the future.
Andrés H Cáceres-Solari :
The dive trip was incredible, truly a great
experience due not only to nature and the beauty of the Great Barrier Reef, but
also due to the research and discovery environment introduced and sustained
throughout the trip.
Peter Foster, 16 year old Undersea guest about the
Undersea Explorer crew :
It's just so
great to see people who love their work so much and who work so hard at the same
time ......... most people just do their jobs because they have to. They are an
amazing group of people.
Tony Green - President Nautilus Scuba Club Cairns
I just wanted to thank you all for a great
trip last week. It was definitely the best dive trip that Chris and myself have
ever done. The crew were great at being both very friendly and helpful. The dive
sites were excellent,and it was great to do some adventure diving rather
than the very controlled diving which often occurs on other boats.
Everyone on the boat got on well, which made it a very social week as
well.
Most of all, I wanted to thank you for all your
support of the Nautilus Dive Club, and we will certainly continue to recommend
you to anyone looking for a live aboard dive trip in North Queensland.
Ron and Val Taylor
"We certainly enjoyed our recent Australian
Geographic expedition on Undersea Explorer - a great expedition ship. Please
convey our best wishes to all involved."
Phil and Ashlee Hutchens - Barracuda
Divers - Alabama, USA -
www.barracudadivers.com
The afternoon of the 8th we boarded the Undersea
Explorer. Words cannot describe the experience that we had on the Undersea
Explorer. This boat and especially the crew were phenomenal. I have been a
diver for 28 years, and an instructor for much of that time, and I have NEVER
had an experience like we had on this boat. It was not just a dive boat, but
an adventure. The days were completely full from the beginning dive in the
morning, to midmorning dives, to snorkeling with Minke Whales, to afternoon
dives, to night dives, and then on down into the meeting room where we looked
at pictures from the day and discussed all that we had seen!
The crew seemed to be enjoying themselves as
much as we were, and their enthusiasm was contagious and spread throughout the
ship. The marine biologists on board were wonderful, and were such an
inspiration to my daughter, Ashlee. The diving was fantastic, the reefs
beautiful, and the sea life was awesome. As Ashlee and I were talking about
our wonderful trip to Australia on the plane back to the States, we rated all
the unbelievable adventures we had while in Australia, and at the top of
a list of fantastic experiences, we both agreed that #1 was the Undersea
Explorer! I would highly recommend them to any diver that is looking for
serious adventure type diving."
Jacky Cooke -
underwater videographer (5000+ dives on the Great Barrier Reef)
To snorkel or not
to snorkel is not usually a question asked by divers when they have a dive
trip planned. I only snorkel with my 10 year old daughter, always preferring
to dive. However, on the Far Northern trip in December 2005, I was
vigorously encouraged to snorkel by Debbie, UE staff. Fortunately, I took
her advice, and had an encounter with green turtles unlike I have ever
experienced. This was due entirely to the fact that I was on snorkel, not
scuba. As the turtles swam slowly around us, I watched as they shot off when
divers' bubbles came near them. It was such a privileged feeling, being part
of a ritual as ancient as time. I truly felt like I was witnessing secret
women turtles' business - something the divers below had no concept of.
Diving with a buddy or lose group is a generally solitary experience, but I
found snorkeling meant sharing those special moments as they happened.
So.....future divers on Undersea, I highly recommend you all have at least
one snorkel - engage without expectation, and you may be pleasantly
surprised.
Mark Spencer -
markbecca@bigfoot.com
"Not only is the boat, crew, food and diving excellent, but what really stands out in my experience aboard the Undersea Explorer is the
opportunity, through their research-participation programs, to broaden my knowledge
of the marine inhabitants and have fun at the same time."
Mark Spencer - Australian underwater photojournalist
Graham & Julie Keating
Myself and my wife Julie would like to pass on our
sincere appreciation of the dive trip we recently had on your vessel. The trip
was from 31/3/07 - 6/4/07. This was the most amazing holiday we have ever been
on. I am an instructor down in southern Victoria and my wife is also an
experienced diver. The holiday we had with you guys was nothing less than
sensational and was to us, the trip of a lifetime. The experience we had was
without a doubt more than we could have hoped for and has left ever lasting fond
memories.
We dived on liveaboards at Townsville and Cairns in September 2006 and the
experience was disheartening. The sites along with the liveaboards were very
poor and left us with a belief that the Barrier Reef was in fact almost
destroyed and was not worth the expense to dive it. We had planned to travel
overseas each year to dive in areas of good corals and fish life. After we got
off the liveaboard at Cairns, we travelled to Cape Tribulation for a few days
and called in to Port Douglas to have a look around. While we were there we
noticed the Undersea Explorer moored and went in and spoke to Tara at the shop.
The conversation we had with Tara encouraged us to perhaps one day give this
liveaboard a go and experience better diving than where we had previously been.
It wasn't until earlier this year that we decided to go with Tara's advice and
booked the Undersea Explorer. The staff (Nicole) at your store assisted us with
Motel bookings, bus transfers and everything else we required. Nothing was an
issue and we received prompt replies via e-mail to confirm everything.
Once on the boat the crew were professional, friendly and willing to do anything
to make the trip an enjoyable one. Obviously the Tsunami warning was a bit
daunting, but the professionalism of the crew was simply outstanding. They took
to the task professionally and kept everybody up to date with what was happening
as well an ensuring that we all understood the safety aspects of the issue at
hand. They never stopped working, assisting and updating the passengers the
entire time the alert was active. As an A/Senior Sergeant in the Victoria Police
Force, I know full well the requirements placed on individuals who are placed in
a position of ensuring that everyone else is looked after whilst they tend to
place themselves last on that list. The crew did this to the highest level
possible and if they were in my organisation I would have commended them on
their diligence, professionalism and attitude for the way in which they
conducted themselves.
This of course was early in the trip and it only got better form thereon in. The
entire crew from the Skipper Neil, and ably assisted by Richard, Engineer
Brendan, Dive Supervisor Heidi, Hostie Erin, Chef Emily, Marine Biologist Chris
and the Guest Researcher Owen were absolutely excellent. We had the time of our
lives and this crew made it for us. The sites chosen each day were superb, the
food was divine and the daily information sessions were both informative and
interesting. We had such a great time that we haven't just gone away with
knowing some people on a dive boat, we have made really good friends.
Being involved in the dive industry brings with it the knowledge that there are
some involved in the industry that provide only the minimum service delivery. We
have experienced this on a number of occasions and has left a long lasting
distrust of the industry. Particularly in high tourism areas. However, the
Undersea Explorer sets a standard and an example that should be adopted by the
industry, to provide a safe enjoyable experience, with a hell of a lot of fun
thrown in.
I cannot rate the trip or the crew highly enough, and as you have obviously
guessed, we are very impressed with your organisation and will be back. Probably
(definitely) more than once!!!!
Thank You Very Much
