Page 55 - Tropic Magazine Issue 19

TROPIC • TOURISM

The Mike Ball difference

The best dive sites Longer bottom times
including the Cod Hole, Osprey because it’s the only liveaboard
Reef, the Ribbon Reefs, Raine dive company on the Great Barrier
Island and the SS Yongala wreck. Reef with qualified rebreather
supervisors. Open dive deck and
A passion for photography solo diving policies also mean
with two dedicated camera there are no restrictions on
stations on ‘Spoilsport’ as well as bottom time.
underwater cameras for rent and
a dedicated photo video pro on
staff. There’s also a free onboard MORE: mikeball.com
underwater photography workshop.

Image by Gary Farr

cannot guarantee your safety because swim with the fishes, marveling at the
many other physical factors contribute beauty and wonder beneath the waves.
to dive-related illness, they’ve
dramatically reduced incidences of What principles has the company
decompression illness (the bends). stayed true to?
Workplace Health & Safety plays a As a pioneer of the dive industry, when
very large part in ensuring the safety we first ran exploratory expeditions
of staff and guests. Dealing with the during the 1980s, it was the excitement
elements certainly keeps us on our of the unknown that made what we did Craig Stephen
unique. To this day we still continue
along this vein, constantly exploring General Manger of Mike Ball
and introducing new and exciting dive Dive Expeditions
We have a philanthropic locations and growing new itineraries vision, adventurous spirit and demand
obligation to the to kept the most adventurous explorer for the provision of excellent customer
satisfied.
service. So for me as the GM moving
environment and to forward, I’m delighted to say it’s quite
ensure we continue What has been Mike Ball’s greatest simply business as usual for Mike Ball
Dive Expeditions.
legacy?
to strive for further Providing exploratory, expedition-
protection style diving, combined with customer What’s in store for the future of Mike
service excellence. Plus, he invented
Ball Diving Expeditions?
the stinger suit which is used by every For now we’ll be steering a steady
dive and snorkel operator on the Great course ahead, continuing to offer
toes at sea and a great deal of effort is Barrier Reef today. sensational world class diving
invested in staff training to maintain and customer service. We have
a safe environment. The technology in Now you are at the helm, how do you a philanthropic obligation to
photo and video has also made great plan to draw on that legacy? the environment and to ensure
advances. Gone are the days when you Working with Mike over the past 25 we continue to strive for further
had to wait overnight to see the results years has been a privilege. Drawing protection and educate our guests as
of your 36mm film from our onboard from my own experience and the to just how important it is to protect
E6 processing lab; nowadays you can opportunities to explore the remote this most amazing resource. Now
just shoot, review, adjust and shoot regions throughout the coral Sea and more than ever, industry, conservation
again, all while you’re still under water. PNG, Mike and I grew itineraries groups and government agencies need
Many things, however, have stayed that have kept divers smiling for to step up, read from the same song
the same. Our new state-of-the-art many, many years. Our close working sheet and start making changes to
vessel we built didn’t meet expectations relationship has bonded me to his ensure the protection of our
and wasn’t as good as the one we use ocean’s future.
now. Plus, the basic diving system
hasn’t changed since Jacques Cousteau Achievements
invented the aqualung in 1942. We
need something to breath with, sink 11,000 + 100,000 + 52,000 +
with, swim with and see with – it’s that
simple. At the end of the day, all we dive certifications passengers passengers on current
flagship Spoilsport
really want to do is get out there and

55 • tropicnow.com.au