In Stardew Valley, there are many different quests and puzzles that players face. However, sometimes it's tedious or difficult to solve them on your own for various reasons. One such task is answering the question "how many purple starfish are there," asked by professor Snail as part of one of the island quests in the Ginger Island location.

How to find professor Snail

To answer this question, you need to start the professor Snail's quest. You need to find him on Ginger Island. The professor's tent is located north of the initial beach area. However, before talking to Snail, you need to rescue him from a trap in the Dig Site cave.  

This can be done by repairing the broken bridge using 10 golden walnuts. Then you will need explosives to blow up the rocks blocking the path to the professor. You can use: Bomb, Cherry Bomb, Mega Bomb, or Explosive Ammo. Once you free him, Snail will be ready to test your knowledge and reward you for correct answers.

How to complete the Island Survey

The Island Survey consists of two questions:

1. How many purple flowers are on Ginger Island?
2. How many purple starfish are on Ginger Island?

The flowers are found in the "upper" part of the island, with a few growing near the cliffs by professor Snail's tent. As for the purple starfish, they can be found on the sandy beaches of Ginger Island. This way, you can find and count all the purple flowers and starfish by yourself to complete the quest.

How many purple starfish are on Ginger Island?

The answer is 18 purple starfish. This is one of the two questions in the professor Snail's survey. The starfish are scattered across the sandy beaches of Ginger Island, and although they are not difficult to find, counting the exact number can be challenging or you might miscalculate somewhere.  

The correct answer will reward you with one golden walnut, which is part of the 130 collectable golden walnuts in Stardew Valley, scattered throughout the island. These walnuts are used to unlock new areas.

How many purple flowers are on Ginger Island?

While you are solving the puzzle of the purple starfish, you'll need to find the answer to another question: how many purple flowers are on Ginger Island? The answer is 22. Like the starfish, these flowers can be found in the northern part of the island, often near the cliffs above professor Snail's tent.

What happens if you answer incorrectly?

Don't worry if the answer is incorrect. There are no serious penalties for the player, except that you will need to answer the question again the next day. You can always return to the professor's tent to retake the quiz and earn your golden walnuts when you are ready with the correct answer.

This way, you will complete professor Snail's quest and receive 2 golden walnuts, which may be needed as you progress through the quests and storyline of the game.