Heron Island Trip January-February 2023 (max 16 pax)

To kick off the 2023 diving travel itinerary, a dive trip has been planned to Heron Island 2023 during the turtle hatching season!

Located in the Southern Great Barrier Reef, Heron Island is surrounded by a shallow lagoon and beautiful fringing reef. At signature sites such as Pam’s Point and Heron Bommie, expect to see large forests of branching corals teeming with clouds of reef fish, and bigger creatures including rays, turtles and black tip reef sharks.

The island is also home to a University of Queensland research centre studying, amongst several projects, coral resilience.

Heron has over 24 dive sites, all within a 10-to-15-minute boat ride from the jetty. Temperature in February is between 26 to 28 degrees Celsius.

As well as having a very pretty fringing reef with all the usual suspects, Heron Island also has a few very special attractions. Large numbers of rays aggregate here in their 100s with several species including sting rays, eagle rays and shovel nose rays. In the shallows there are juvenile black tip reef sharks and epaulette sharks.

January – February are the most exciting phase of the turtle season, as hatchlings make their precarious way to the sea. There is an estimated year-round resident population of between 3000 – 4000 juvenile turtles. If you’re keen to see the hatchlings as they emerge, staff could wake you up to witness the spectacle.

For more info on Heron Island, click here https://www.australia.com/en-my/places/brisbane-and-surrounds/guide-to-heron-island.html

Accommodation

The dates of stay are Saturday 28th January – Saturday 4th February 2023 (7 nights/8 days). We will be staying at the Heron Island Resort https://www.heronisland.com/

There are two main room types at Heron Island Resort:
Turtle Rooms (located in the Pisonia Forest) with a Queen size bed, suitable for couples.
Reef Rooms (on North Beach) with a Queen size bed and Single bed, suitable for twin-sharing dive buddies.
Meals are served at Shearwater Restaurant, with drinks served at Baillie’s Bar, a large bar and lounge area.

Package includes:

• 7 nights accommodation
• Daily breakfast
• 15 boat dives (inc. tanks & weights)
• Research Station Tour
• Return ferry transfers

For more information check your club emails or contact Akiko at overseastrips@nautilus-scuba.net