Starfish Island Reef
Puerto Princesa / Honda Bay · Philippines
The sloping reef circling Starfish Island is one of Honda Bay's most-visited sites, and for good reason. Coral tables shelter resting nurse sharks in 6 to 12 metres, while the outer slope descends through bommies of staghorn and brain coral to a rubble and sand bottom at 22 metres. Large cushion starfish (the site's namesake) cover the sandy shallows. Bumphead parrotfish arrive in loose schools at dawn, and sea turtles are spotted year-round on the coral terraces.
Conditions
Depth
3 to 22 m
Open water and up
Current
Can be moderate
Can pick up on the edge
Visibility
8 to 15 m
Clearest in the calm season
Water
27 to 30°C
3mm shorty
Month by month
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water (°C) | 27 | 27 | 27 | 28 | 28 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 28 | 28 | 27 |
| Vis (m) | 18 | 18 | 18 | 15 | 12 | 10 | 8 | 8 | 10 | 12 | 15 | 18 |
| Current | Still | Still | Still | Gentle | Gentle | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Gentle | Gentle | Still | Still |
Your chances of seeing each animal
Nurse Shark
Expected
Known here, not yet in recent logs
Green Sea Turtle
Expected
Known here, not yet in recent logs
Cushion Starfish
Expected
Known here, not yet in recent logs
Staghorn Coral
Expected
Known here, not yet in recent logs
Brain Coral
Expected
Known here, not yet in recent logs
Giant Clam
Expected
Known here, not yet in recent logs
Peacock Mantis Shrimp
Expected
Known here, not yet in recent logs
Bumphead Parrotfish
Expected
Known here, not yet in recent logs
Gear