Where and when to see frogfish

Masters of camouflage that sit motionless on sponges and rubble waiting for prey. Muck-diving regions with experienced spotters give the best odds.

This guide documents sightings in 14 Good Dives regions.

Colored-pencil illustration: one anatomically accurate striated hairy frogfish (Antennarius striatus).

Where to plan your trip

Our picks for a trip focused on frogfish, chosen for the encounters below. Calendar peaks describe timing, not a ranking of destinations.

Several frogfish types to look for
Scuba diving
Lembeh Strait
Lembeh rewards a trip aimed at frogfish variety, from hairy to giant and painted forms. Local guides track recent finds; ask for repeat time on productive muck sites.
Target: frogfish
Ask about: Hairball · Nudifalls
Sources
- Frogfish variety in Lembeh (Lembeh Resort)
- Lembeh dive sites and resident critters (Murex Resorts)
Coastal muck and house-reef searches
Scuba diving
Dauin & Apo Island
Dauin offers frogfish in varied coastal habitats, including very small individuals. Choose a guide-led search and allow time for camouflage rather than expecting easy sightings.
Target: frogfish
Ask about: Atmosphere House Reef · Dauin coastal muck sites
Sources
- Dauin critters and house reef (Atmosphere Resorts)

Frogfish sighting calendar

Calendar months, every year

	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Lembeh StraitIndonesia	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●
Dauin & Apo IslandPhilippines	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●
AlorIndonesia	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●
AnilaoPhilippines	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●
BonaireCaribbean Netherlands	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●
KomodoIndonesia	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●
Mergui ArchipelagoMyanmar (Burma)	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●
Milne BayPapua New Guinea	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●
MoalboalPhilippines	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●
Puerto GaleraPhilippines	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●
Saba & St KittsCaribbean Netherlands	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●
Triton BayIndonesia	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●
Tulamben & AmedIndonesia	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●
WakatobiIndonesia	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●

Peak = best odds · ● = regularly seen · blank = unlikely.

Calendars describe animal presence, not weather or site access; check each region’s dive season. For grouped animals, a marked month may apply to only one member of the group. Sightings vary by site and dive.

Where and when to see frogfish

Where to plan your trip

Frogfish sighting calendar

Explore all 14 documented regions