Where and when to see jacks and kingfish
Fast schooling predators that circle divers in great walls of silver, from bigeye trevally in the Sea of Cortez to yellowtail kingfish in South Australia.
This guide documents sightings in 5 Good Dives regions.
Where to plan your trip
Our picks for a trip focused on jacks and kingfish, chosen for the encounters below. Calendar peaks describe timing, not a ranking of destinations.
Schooling-jack spectacle
Scuba diving
Sipadan & SempornaChoose Barracuda Point for large schools of jacks alongside barracuda. Reserve Sipadan permits with your operator; school position and the dive route depend on current.
Target: schooling jacks
Ask about: Barracuda Point
Fish schools on a current-swept reef
Scuba diving
PalauBlue Corner combines jacks with barracuda and other reef predators. Choose this for a broader fish-school dive and let your guide time the current.
Target: schooling jacks
Ask about: Blue Corner
Resident jacks with repeat reef access
Scuba diving
WakatobiThe school by the house-reef jetty gives you a chance to revisit the same area between boat dives. Check the current before planning a long photography session.
Target: schooling jacks
Ask about: Wakatobi House Reef jetty
Jacks and kingfish sighting calendar
Calendar months, every year
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sipadan & Semporna (schooling jacks)Malaysia | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● |
| Palau (schooling jacks)Palau | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● |
| Wakatobi (schooling jacks)Indonesia | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● |
| Neptune Islands (yellowtail kingfish)Australia | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● |
| Sea of Cortez (La Paz) (schooling jacks)Mexico | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● |
Peak = best odds · ● = regularly seen · blank = unlikely.
Calendars describe animal presence, not weather or site access; check each region’s dive season. For grouped animals, a marked month may apply to only one member of the group. Sightings vary by site and dive.