Where and when to see nudibranchs

Colourful sea slugs found on almost every reef, with the greatest variety in the Coral Triangle's macro and muck sites.

This guide documents sightings in 13 Good Dives regions. The most regions are in peak season in January–March.

Colored-pencil illustration: one Hypselodoris apolegma nudibranch.

Where to plan your trip

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

A dedicated nudibranch photography trip
Scuba diving
Anilao
Anilao supports specialist macro trips and a wide variety of nudibranchs. Ask a local guide to select sites for your target species and preferred depth.
Target: nudibranchs
Ask about: Buceo Anilao House Reef · Anilao macro sites
Sources
- Anilao marine life gallery (Buceo Anilao)
Nudibranch searches on contrasting habitats
Scuba diving
Lembeh Strait
Nudifalls combines wall and rubble habitats, while the house reef offers repeat access. Choose Lembeh when you also want other muck-diving subjects.
Target: nudibranchs
Ask about: Nudifalls · Lembeh Resort House Reef
Sources
- Lembeh dive sites and resident critters (Murex Resorts)
Repeat shore dives for small subjects
Scuba diving
Tulamben & Amed
Seraya Secrets offers a sandy-slope macro search, with nudibranchs among the targets. Revisit productive areas with a local guide rather than rushing between sites.
Target: nudibranchs
Ask about: Seraya Secrets · Segara
Sources
- Tulamben Coral Garden and Seraya Secrets (Tulamben Dive Resort)
- Tulamben Emerald and Segara dive sites (Bali Dive Resort and Spa)

Nudibranchs sighting calendar

Calendar months, every year

	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
AnilaoPhilippines	Peak	Peak	Peak	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●
Lembeh StraitIndonesia	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●
Tulamben & AmedIndonesia	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●
AlorIndonesia	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●
Dauin & Apo IslandPhilippines	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●
KomodoIndonesia	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●
Malta & GozoMalta	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●
Milne BayPapua New Guinea	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●
Northern Red SeaEgypt	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●
Okinawa & Kerama IslandsJapan	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●
Poor Knights IslandsNew Zealand	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●
Puerto GaleraPhilippines	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●
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 nudibranchs

Where to plan your trip

Nudibranchs sighting calendar

Explore all 13 documented regions