Dive with
Best places to dive with Mimic octopus
Thaumoctopus mimicus
A long-armed sand octopus able to imitate the shape and movement of other animals such as flatfish, lionfish and sea snakes. Active by day over open muck, unlike most octopus. Lembeh is one of the more reliable places in the world to find it.
Destinations ranked by how reliably mimic octopus is seen. The bars show the likelihood by month — never a guarantee. See the full species page for more.
Anilao, Batangas, Philippines
| Month | Likelihood |
|---|---|
| January | occasional |
| February | occasional |
| March | occasional |
| April | occasional |
| May | occasional |
| June | occasional |
| July | occasional |
| August | occasional |
| September | occasional |
| October | occasional |
| November | occasional |
| December | occasional |
Found on silty muck sites like Secret Bay; a sought-after but unpredictable sighting.
Lembeh Strait, Indonesia
| Month | Likelihood |
|---|---|
| January | occasional |
| February | occasional |
| March | occasional |
| April | occasional |
| May | occasional |
| June | occasional |
| July | occasional |
| August | occasional |
| September | occasional |
| October | occasional |
| November | occasional |
| December | occasional |
Seen through the year at sandy sites like TK, but never guaranteed on a given dive; depends on the guide locating an active individual.