scubaseason

Sardine

Sardinella lemuru

Sighting evidence at Sumilon Island, Dumaguete

Massive sardine baitballs form around Sumilon Island throughout the year, creating a living vortex that obscures ambient light and attracts a cascade of predators including trevally, barracuda, and needlefish. The schooling behaviour is a predator-confusion strategy but also a spectacle that ranks among the most dramatic fish encounters available to recreational divers in the Philippines.

Evidence at this site

No confirmed records on file at this site

Sardine is listed as a curated species here based on historical reports.

How is this calculated?

Sighting evidence is compiled from iNaturalist observation records within a set proximity radius, filtered for quality-grade observations. “Last confirmed” is the date of the most recent research-grade record. Record count covers a rolling 24-month window. Confidence reflects record count, recency, and consistency of seasonal signal.