Apo Island

Apo Island is a small volcanic island off the southeastern tip of Negros, in the Philippines, part of the Visayas region and long established as a marine sanctuary managed with local community involvement. The waters around it are made up of a series of distinct dive spots ringing the island, with coral slopes and drop-offs typical of the area, reaching a maximum depth of around 30 metres over a reef bottom and generally rated a beginner dive. It draws divers largely because of its marine protected area status, which has allowed reef and fish populations around the island to recover over decades, with barracuda, batfish, frogfish and nudibranchs regularly seen on the reef. Divers have also reported clownfish, eagle rays, fusiliers, garden eels, hammerhead sharks, octopus, sea turtles, snapper, thresher sharks, triggerfish and whale sharks around the island. The island itself is reachable by boat from Dauin or Dumaguete on Negros.

Confirmed by our research team, reported by independent divers, or observed nearby via iNaturalist — each entry is labelled with its source.

• Sea turtleSea turtleReported here · unconfirmed
• Tomato ClownfishAmphiprion frenatusReported here · unconfirmed
• Dusky NembrothaNembrotha kubaryanaReported here · unconfirmed
• Blackspotted PufferArothron nigropunctatusReported here · unconfirmed
• Crested NembrothaNembrotha cristataReported here · unconfirmed
• Pacific TrumpetfishAulostomus chinensisReported here · unconfirmed
• Green Sea TurtleChelonia mydasReported here · unconfirmed
• Clark's AnemonefishAmphiprion clarkiiReported here · unconfirmed
• Anna's ChromodorisChromodoris annaeReported here · unconfirmed
• BatfishBatfishConfirmed present · 2 independent sources
• FrogfishFrogfishConfirmed present · 2 independent sources
• NudibranchNudibranchConfirmed present · 2 independent sources
• FusilierFusilierReported here · unconfirmed
• OctopusOctopusReported here · unconfirmed
• TriggerfishTriggerfishReported here · unconfirmed
• BarracudaBarracudaConfirmed present · 2 independent sources
• Garden eelGarden eelReported here · unconfirmed
• Thresher sharkThresher sharkReported here · unconfirmed
• Hammerhead sharkHammerhead sharkReported here · unconfirmed
• Eagle rayEagle rayReported here · unconfirmed
• Whale SharkRhincodon typusReported here · unconfirmed
• ClownfishClownfishReported here · unconfirmed
• SnapperSnapperReported here · unconfirmed