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Flower Island (aka Large Bulucan Island) is a resort island of northeast Palawan. If you are looking for a hotel with a house reef in this area, Flower Island may be a good option. While the green sea turtles come to feed on the shallow seagrass beds facing the beach, you will discover a great diversity of colorful fish on the nearby, healthy coral reef.

Flower Island Resort's beach and reef
View of the snorkeling area from the beach.

How to get to Flower Island snorkeling spot

Large Bulucan Island (aka Flower Island, named after the resort located on the island) is a small private island in the northeast of Palawan.

Access to the island is to Flower Island Resort guests only. Transfers can be organized by the resort: allow around 1h30 by taxi then 30 minutes by boat from El Nido airport to reach the island.

Flower Island Resort snorkeling map, Palawan

Water entrance for snorkeling Flower Island

Enter the water directly from the sandy beach, in front of the restaurant.

Flower Island snorkeling exploration tips

The recommended snorkeling area extends between the small pontoon (on the left) and the small rocky islet topped with a parasol (on the right, see map above).

The neighboring reefs can also be snorkeled, but are not quite as safe. Avoid snorkeling too close to the pontoon and the jetty, where there is a boat activity.

Spinecheek anemonefish at reef
Flower Island’s coral reef is healthy, with a wide diversity of corals. In this picture, you can count more than 10 coral species, spinecheek clownfish in a sea anemone, giant clams, and long-spined sea urchins.

Depending on the location, you have to cross 50 to 150m of seagrass beds before reaching the coral reef. The shallow seagrass beds (↕3-6ft/1-2m) are a great location for green sea turtle sightings. Turtles come to feed and rest on the seagrass meadows, sometimes just a few tens of meters from the beach.

On the shallow reef areas (↕ max. 15ft/5m), you’ll snorkel above a wide variety of hard corals, soft corals, sponges and gorgonians. The blue branching coral and tabular coral, in particular, are superb.

Green sea turtle in Flower Island's seagrass beds
The green sea turtle is pretty common in the shallow seagrass beds facing the beach.

Triggerfish, butterflyfish, parrotfish, angelfish, clownfish, and dozens of other reef fish species can be spotted on the reef.

Restaurants and accommodation nearby

This spot is the Flower Island Resort‘s house reef.

 

  • Level required Beginner
  • Maximum depth6ft/2m on the seagrass meadows, 15ft/5m on the reef
  • Water entranceFrom a sandy beach
  • Potential DangersBe careful about boats circulation near the pontoon
  • Visitor numbersLow
  • Access costsCosts of the stay at Flower Island Resort
  • Restaurants nearbyYes
  • Public toilets & showersYes

MAP Spot

These snorkeling spots are accessible to beginners and kids. You will enter the water gradually from a beach, or in a less than 3ft. deep area. The sea is generally calm, shallow, with almost no waves or currents. These spots are usually located in marked and/or monitored swimming areas. It is not necessary to swim long distances to discover the sea life.

This level only apply when the spot experiences optimal sea and/or weather conditions. It is not applicable if the sea and/or weather conditions deteriorate, in particular in the presence of rough sea, rain, strong wind, unusual current, large tides, waves and/or swell. You can find more details about the definition of our snorkeling levels on our snorkeling safety page.