Secret Corner
A sandy slope of rocks and pebbles, perfect for spotting octopus: blue-ringed, mimic, wonderpus, mototi, algae and coconut octopus, plus cuttlefish and warty and hairy frogfish.
Secret Corner is a sandy slope scattered with rocks and pebbles, and it is one of the best places in Dauin to spot octopus. Six species live here: blue-ringed, mimic, wonderpus, mototi, algae and coconut octopus, along with several kinds of cuttlefish. The site lies inside a marine sanctuary.
The dive
The maximum depth is around 18 metres. The rocks and pebbles give the octopus plenty of places to hide, so this is a dive of careful, slow searching. Outside slack water the current can be strong, so we time our dives here with care.
What you might see
- Blue-ringed octopus, small and beautiful, showing their bright blue rings when disturbed
- Mimic octopus, famous for imitating other animals such as flatfish and sea snakes
- Wonderpus octopus, with long arms in bold bands
- Mototi octopus, another small species with ringed markings
- Algae octopus, which looks like a clump of weed until it moves
- Coconut octopus, often carrying shells or coconut husks as portable shelters
- Cuttlefish, several kinds, including flamboyant cuttlefish on the sand
- Warty and hairy frogfish
When to dive Secret Corner
The best time to dive Secret Corner is from October to February. The water stays between about 25 and 29°C through the year. No two years are quite the same here: some seasons the octopus are everywhere, others take more searching. See when to dive Dauin.
Who it suits
Critter lovers who want to tick off several octopus species, and photographers who are patient enough to wait for an octopus to come out of its hiding place.
Our tip
Ask your divemaster about the best time to dive it: outside slack water the current can be strong. Once you find an octopus, keep still and keep your distance; a relaxed octopus shows far more behaviour.
Good to know
- Secret Corner is a marine sanctuary. The standard sanctuary fee is included in our dive price; with a camera, add PHP 50 per dive.
- Blue-ringed and mototi octopus are venomous. Look and photograph, but never touch.
- For more octopus and frogfish, try The Pier and Talisay.
Dive Secret Corner with us
We dive the Dauin coast every day, with full rental equipment included in our dive rates. See our Dauin diving and prices, or build your dive trip and tell us which sites you would like to see.