Dive with
Best places to dive with Lionfish
Pterois volitans
A venomous-spined reef fish, native here in the Indo-Pacific (unlike its invasive status in the Atlantic). Common on and inside the Truk wrecks, hovering in the shade of the superstructure.
Destinations ranked by how reliably lionfish is seen. The bars show the likelihood by month — never a guarantee. See the full species page for more.
Coron, Palawan, Philippines
| Month | Likelihood |
|---|---|
| January | commonly seen |
| February | commonly seen |
| March | commonly seen |
| April | commonly seen |
| May | commonly seen |
| June | commonly seen |
| July | commonly seen |
| August | commonly seen |
| September | commonly seen |
| October | commonly seen |
| November | commonly seen |
| December | commonly seen |
Lionfish are on essentially every Coron wreck, sheltering in the structure and holds; scorpionfish share the same spots. Reliable year-round.
Moalboal, Philippines
| Month | Likelihood |
|---|---|
| January | commonly seen |
| February | commonly seen |
| March | commonly seen |
| April | commonly seen |
| May | commonly seen |
| June | commonly seen |
| July | commonly seen |
| August | commonly seen |
| September | commonly seen |
| October | commonly seen |
| November | commonly seen |
| December | commonly seen |
Common on the walls and house reefs, sometimes in loose schools around the Cathedral at Pescador.
Truk Lagoon, Micronesia
| Month | Likelihood |
|---|---|
| January | commonly seen |
| February | commonly seen |
| March | commonly seen |
| April | commonly seen |
| May | commonly seen |
| June | commonly seen |
| July | commonly seen |
| August | commonly seen |
| September | commonly seen |
| October | commonly seen |
| November | commonly seen |
| December | commonly seen |
Frequently seen tucked into wreckage. Native to this region, so a normal resident rather than a pest.