Located within the Lesser Sunda Islands in Indonesia is the Alor Archipelago which houses white-sand beaches and crystal-clear bays. Alor, the archipelagos largest island, is still considered a hidden gem, with dive sites that seem to have been reserved only for you. Still relatively undeveloped with its crumbling red-clay roads, you’ll find that what Alor lacks in modern conveniences it makes up for in the plethora of reef fish, pelagics and vibrant coral reefs. Alor diving provides the opportunity to spot the elusive mimic octopus while orcas and mola mola honour you with their extraordinary presence.

Alor’s waters can be accessed by staying within the islands few dive resorts or day trips from a dive centre. Yet, often resorts and dive centres focus solely on a small area of the water surrounding Alor - the Pantar Strait - which may be perfect for those intending to take dive courses. Consider combining your visit to Alor with diving in Flores, as Kupang airport, which connects to Alor also has flights to Labuan Bajo. If the remoteness of East Nusa Tenggara discourages you from in-land travel, a liveaboard trip to Alor can also visit other stunning dive locations such as Flores, the Banda Sea, Ambon, and the flourishing reefs of Raja Ampat.

Dive Centers

Top Alor Dive Sites

Mike's Delight

This site boasts vibrant multi-hued corals that create a kaleidoscope of colors. Marine life includes sea snakes, lobsters, and boxfish. The adventure level is easy to moderate, and it's suitable for scuba diving. Special features include stunning coral formations, making it ideal for underwater photography.

The Twilight Zone

Characterized by black volcanic sands, this site features pegasus sea moths, octopus, and Spanish dancers. It's an advanced dive site due to its unique night diving experience, accessible for scuba divers. The area is renowned for its nocturnal marine life and the colossal nudibranch, the Djibouti Giant.

Sharks Galore

Known for big grey reef sharks, white tips, and dog-tooth tuna, this site offers a moderate adventure level with a gentle drift dive experience. Suitable for scuba diving, the site allows divers to enjoy the thrill without strong currents, and it's a noteworthy location for observing large marine species.

Clown Valley

Adjacent to Sharks Galore, Clown Valley is teeming with clownfish. It's an easy site that accommodates both scuba and freediving, making it versatile for all diving levels. The site is magical with its abundant clownfish, and interactions with local freediving children enhance the unique diving experience.

Wolang Caves

Featuring incredible topography and fascinating rock formations, these caves are adorned with numerous nudibranchs. An advanced site, it is suitable for technical dives. Divers might encounter resting nurse sharks or marble rays, adding to the allure of its intricate cave systems.

The best Months to dive in Alor


Scuba diving in Alor is possible all year round, but the best conditions are from March through October. If you’ve come to Alor for an adrenaline rush, between October and November, Alor’s ripping currents are the most prevalent. Outside these times, surface conditions can be unsettled, and there’s a greater chance of rain and reduced visibility—where visibility drops to 15 meters/49 feet from 30 meters/98 feet. During these periods of reduced visibility, Alor’s muck diving sites are thriving. September is the best time to spot a mola mola!

Top Wildlife Sightings in Alor

In Alor, you’ll find the ‘usual suspects’ in droves, with one particular dive site exposing you to the highest concentration of clownfish in the world. Among the ‘usual suspects’ are the more illusory, such as pegasus sea moths, mimic octopus and soapfish. It is also one of the few places in the world where the Djibouti Giant nudibranch has been seen! Strong currents see you diving among rays, grey reef sharks and barracuda with the possibility of seeing an orca pass in the blue. During the colder months, you may even spot a behemoth mola mola.

Wildlife Sightings are Based on User Generated Content

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species approx.: 200

Moray Eel

Moray Eel

4 Sightings
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3
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A
1
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0
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0
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0

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species approx.: 300

Octopus

Octopus

2 Sightings
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0
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0
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A
1
M
0
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0
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A
0
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1
O
0
N
0
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0
Common Dolphin

Common Dolphin

1 Sightings
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0
F
0
M
0
A
0
M
0
J
1
J
0
A
0
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0
O
0
N
0
D
0
Dugong

Dugong

1 Sightings
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0
F
0
M
0
A
0
M
0
J
1
J
0
A
0
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0
O
0
N
0
D
0
Green Turtle

Green Turtle

1 Sightings
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0
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0
A
1
M
0
J
0
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0
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0
O
0
N
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0

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species approx.: 28

Clownfish

Clownfish

11 Sightings
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0
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2
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3
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3
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1
O
2
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0

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species approx.: 12

Lionfish

Lionfish

6 Sightings
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0
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0
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0
M
0
J
3
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0
A
1
S
1
O
0
N
1
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0

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species approx.: 110

Snapper

Snapper

6 Sightings
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0
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2
M
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1
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3
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O
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0

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species approx.: 130

Pufferfish

Pufferfish

6 Sightings
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F
0
M
0
A
0
M
0
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3
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0
A
2
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1
O
0
N
0
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0

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species approx.: 30

Stonefish

Stonefish

5 Sightings
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0
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0
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2
M
0
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3
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0
A
0
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0
O
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0

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species approx.: 90

Angelfish

Angelfish

4 Sightings
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0
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0
M
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1
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3
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O
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N
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0

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species approx.: 130

Butterfly Fish

Butterfly Fish

4 Sightings
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0
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1
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3
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0
O
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N
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0

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species approx.: 85

Surgeonfish

Surgeonfish

4 Sightings
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0
M
0
A
0
M
0
J
1
J
0
A
3
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0
O
0
N
0
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0

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species approx.: 100

Parrotfish

Parrotfish

4 Sightings
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0
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0
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0
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0
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1
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0
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3
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0
O
0
N
0
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0

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species approx.: 3000

Nudibranch

Nudibranch

4 Sightings
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1
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2
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0
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0
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1
O
0
N
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0

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species approx.: 2

Nurse Shark

Nurse Shark

3 Sightings
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0
F
0
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0
A
0
M
0
J
1
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0
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2
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0
O
0
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0
Banded Sea Krait

Banded Sea Krait

3 Sightings
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0
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0
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2
M
0
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0
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0
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1
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0
O
0
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0
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0

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species approx.: 30

Sand Eel

Sand Eel

3 Sightings
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0
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0
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3
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0
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0
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0
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N
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0

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species approx.: 250

Scorpionfish

Scorpionfish

3 Sightings
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0
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1
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0
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1
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0
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1
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0
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0
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0
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0

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species approx.: 40

Triggerfish

Triggerfish

3 Sightings
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2
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1
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0

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species approx.: 3400

Shrimp

Shrimp

3 Sightings
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0
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0
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2
M
0
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0
J
0
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0
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0
O
0
N
1
D
0
Blacktip Reef Shark

Blacktip Reef Shark

2 Sightings
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0
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0
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0
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0
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0
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0
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2
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0
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0
N
0
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0

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species approx.: 130

Pipefish

Pipefish

2 Sightings
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0
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1
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0
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0
J
0
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0
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1
O
0
N
0
D
0
Wolf Eel

Wolf Eel

2 Sightings
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0
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0
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0
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0
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2
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0
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0
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0
O
0
N
0
D
0

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species approx.: 20

Porcupinefish

Porcupinefish

2 Sightings
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0
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0
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0
M
0
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0
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0
A
1
S
1
O
0
N
0
D
0

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species approx.: 7000

Crab

Crab

2 Sightings
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0
M
1
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0
M
0
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0
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0
A
0
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1
O
0
N
0
D
0
Ribbon Moray Eel (Ghost Eel)

Ribbon Moray Eel (Ghost Eel)

2 Sightings
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0
M
1
A
1
M
0
J
0
J
0
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0
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0
O
0
N
0
D
0
Sea Otter

Sea Otter

2 Sightings
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0
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0
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0
M
0
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2
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0
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0
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0
O
0
N
0
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0

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species approx.: 7

Seamoths

Seamoths

2 Sightings
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0
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0
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0
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1
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0
A
0
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1
O
0
N
0
D
0

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species approx.: 7

Pygmy Seahorse

Pygmy Seahorse

1 Sightings
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0
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0
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0
A
0
M
0
J
1
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0
A
0
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0
O
0
N
0
D
0

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species approx.: 250

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species approx.: 150

Sweetlips and Grunts

Sweetlips and Grunts

1 Sightings
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0
F
0
M
0
A
0
M
0
J
1
J
0
A
0
S
0
O
0
N
0
D
0

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species approx.: 60

Soldierfish

Soldierfish

1 Sightings
J
0
F
0
M
0
A
0
M
0
J
1
J
0
A
0
S
0
O
0
N
0
D
0

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species approx.: 60

Squirrelfish

Squirrelfish

1 Sightings
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0
F
0
M
0
A
0
M
0
J
1
J
0
A
0
S
0
O
0
N
0
D
0

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species approx.: 350

Damselfish

Damselfish

1 Sightings
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0
F
0
M
0
A
0
M
0
J
1
J
0
A
0
S
0
O
0
N
0
D
0

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species approx.: 90

Goatfish

Goatfish

1 Sightings
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0
F
0
M
0
A
0
M
0
J
1
J
0
A
0
S
0
O
0
N
0
D
0

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species approx.: 15

Tuna

Tuna

1 Sightings
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0
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0
M
0
A
0
M
0
J
0
J
0
A
0
S
0
O
0
N
1
D
0

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species approx.: 25

Boxfish

Boxfish

1 Sightings
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0
F
0
M
0
A
0
M
0
J
1
J
0
A
0
S
0
O
0
N
0
D
0

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species approx.: 3

Trumpetfish

Trumpetfish

1 Sightings
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0
F
0
M
0
A
1
M
0
J
0
J
0
A
0
S
0
O
0
N
0
D
0