The verdict
Best places to dive with yellowfin tunas
Thunnus albacares
Your best chance with yellowfin tunas is Protea Banks, from All year, though no site we score is a certainty.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January: 0 of 10 at peak | February: 1 of 10 at peak | March: 2 of 10 at peak | April: 3 of 10 at peak | May: 2 of 10 at peak | June: 0 of 10 at peak | July: 3 of 10 at peak | August: 1 of 10 at peak | September: 2 of 10 at peak | October: 2 of 10 at peak | November: 0 of 10 at peak | December: 0 of 10 at peak |
Most sites at peak Some at peak Possible only
Based on 12,064 OBIS records of yellowfin tuna (Thunnus albacares) within 60 km of 26 dive destinations.
Top destinations to dive with yellowfin tunas
Ranked on how reliably they turn up, then on how long the record runs.
| # | Destination | Country / area | Season | Reliability | Evidence | Dive type |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Protea Banks | South Africa | All year | Likely | 15 of 26 years | Day boat |
| 2 | Flower Garden Banks | USA | All year | Likely | 12 of 21 years | Liveaboard |
| 3 | Aliwal Shoal | South Africa | All year | Likely | 13 of 31 years | Day boat |
| 4 | Cape Town / False Bay | South Africa | All year | Likely | 12 of 32 years | Day boat, Shore |
| 5 | Outer Banks | USA | Mar–Apr | Likely | 11 of 32 years | Day boat |
| 6 | Azores | Portugal | May, Sep | Likely | 9 of 28 years | Day boat |
| 7 | Santa Maria, Azores | Portugal | Jul, Oct | Likely | 8 of 26 years | Day boat |
| 8 | Darwin & Wolf, Galapagos | Ecuador | Mar, Jul–Aug, Oct | Likely | 11 of 32 yearsfew records | Liveaboard |
| 9 | Galapagos Central | Ecuador | Feb, Apr, Jul, Sep | Likely | 10 of 31 yearsfew records | Liveaboard, Day boat |
| 10 | Gansbaai | South Africa | Apr–May | Hit-or-miss | 7 of 32 years | Cage |
Also on record at Dry Tortugas, Florida Keys, Tiger Beach, Bahamas, Bimini, Bahamas, St. Croix, Poor Knights, Grand Bahama / Freeport, Bahamas, Roca Partida, Socorro / Revillagigedo, Zanzibar, Bonaire, Jupiter / Palm Beach, Key Largo, Florida Keys, Key West, Florida Keys, Malpelo, Ribbon Reefs, Fernando de Noronha and Big Island / Kona.
When to dive with yellowfin tunas
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Protea Banks | Jan: Possible | Feb: Possible | Mar: Possible | Apr: Possible | May: Possible | Jun: Possible | Jul: Possible | Aug: Possible | Sep: Possible | Oct: Possible | Nov: Possible | Dec: Possible |
| Flower Garden Banks | Jan: Possible | Feb: Possible | Mar: Possible | Apr: Possible | May: Possible | Jun: Possible | Jul: Possible | Aug: Possible | Sep: Possible | Oct: Possible | Nov: Possible | Dec: Possible |
| Aliwal Shoal | Jan: Possible | Feb: Possible | Mar: Possible | Apr: Possible | May: Possible | Jun: Possible | Jul: Possible | Aug: Possible | Sep: Possible | Oct: Possible | Nov: Possible | Dec: Possible |
| Cape Town / False Bay | Jan: Possible | Feb: Possible | Mar: Possible | Apr: Possible | May: Possible | Jun: Possible | Jul: Possible | Aug: Possible | Sep: Possible | Oct: Possible | Nov: Possible | Dec: Possible |
| Outer Banks | Jan: Possible | Feb: Possible | Mar: Peak season | Apr: Peak season | May: Possible | Jun: Possible | Jul: Not common | Aug: Not common | Sep: Not common | Oct: Not common | Nov: Not common | Dec: Not common |
| Azores | Jan: Not common | Feb: Not common | Mar: Not common | Apr: Not common | May: Peak season | Jun: Not common | Jul: Possible | Aug: Possible | Sep: Peak season | Oct: Possible | Nov: Not common | Dec: Not common |
| Santa Maria, Azores | Jan: Not common | Feb: Not common | Mar: Not common | Apr: Not common | May: Not common | Jun: Possible | Jul: Peak season | Aug: Possible | Sep: Possible | Oct: Peak season | Nov: Possible | Dec: No survey data |
| Darwin & Wolf, Galapagos | Jan: Not common | Feb: Not common | Mar: Peak season | Apr: Not common | May: Possible | Jun: Possible | Jul: Peak season | Aug: Peak season | Sep: Possible | Oct: Peak season | Nov: Possible | Dec: Not common |
| Galapagos Central | Jan: Not common | Feb: Peak season | Mar: Possible | Apr: Peak season | May: Not common | Jun: Possible | Jul: Peak season | Aug: Not common | Sep: Peak season | Oct: Not common | Nov: Not common | Dec: Possible |
| Gansbaai | Jan: Not common | Feb: Not common | Mar: Possible | Apr: Peak season | May: Peak season | Jun: Possible | Jul: Not common | Aug: Not common | Sep: Not common | Oct: Not common | Nov: Possible | Dec: Possible |
Peak season Possible Not common No survey data
Yellowfin tuna month by month
- January
- Off-peak everywhere. Your best chance is Protea Banks.
- February
- The one peak month at Galapagos Central.
- March
- Season starts at Outer Banks. Also good at Darwin & Wolf, Galapagos.
- April
- The one peak month at Galapagos Central. Also good at Outer Banks and Gansbaai.
- June
- Off-peak everywhere. Your best chance is Protea Banks.
- July
- The one peak month at Santa Maria, Azores. Also good at Darwin & Wolf, Galapagos and Galapagos Central.
- August
- Last peak month at Darwin & Wolf, Galapagos.
- September
- The one peak month at Azores. Also good at Galapagos Central.
- October
- The one peak month at Santa Maria, Azores. Also good at Darwin & Wolf, Galapagos.
- November
- Off-peak everywhere. Your best chance is Protea Banks.
- December
- Off-peak everywhere. Your best chance is Protea Banks.
What to expect in the water
Water temperature and the suit to pack at the top sites, in the months yellowfin tunas are there.
| Destination | Season | Water | Suit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Protea Banks | All year | 22–27 °C | 5 mm full suit |
| Flower Garden Banks | All year | 22–30 °C | 5 mm with hood and gloves |
| Aliwal Shoal | All year | 22–26 °C | 5 mm with hood and gloves |
| Cape Town / False Bay | All year | 15–19 °C | 7 mm semi-dry |
| Outer Banks | Mar–Apr | 19–20 °C | 5 mm with hood and gloves |
What else you'll see with yellowfin tunas
Animals at their peak in the same places and months.
Bottlenose dolphin
At Flower Garden Banks, Outer Banks and 2 more
Humpback whale
At Aliwal Shoal, Cape Town / False Bay and Galapagos Central
Sand tiger shark
At Aliwal Shoal and Outer Banks
Sperm whale
At Azores and Santa Maria, Azores
Loggerhead turtle
At Azores and Santa Maria, Azores
Short-finned pilot whale
At Azores and Santa Maria, Azores
Diving with yellowfin tunas: common questions
- Where is the best place to dive with yellowfin tunas?
- Your best chance with yellowfin tunas is Protea Banks, from All year, though no site we score is a certainty.
- When is the best time to dive with yellowfin tunas?
- April, July, when 3 of the 10 best-evidenced destinations are at their peak. It varies by place: Protea Banks peaks All year; Flower Garden Banks peaks All year; Aliwal Shoal peaks All year.
- What wetsuit do you need to dive with yellowfin tunas?
- At Protea Banks from All year, the water is 22 °C to 27 °C, so bring a 5 mm full suit.
- How many places can you dive with yellowfin tunas?
- besttimetodive.com has yellowfin tunas on record at 26 of the destinations it scores. Not an exhaustive list — these are the sites we hold verified data for.