Pelagic fish

Giant trevally

Caranx ignobilis

IUCN status: Least concern

A large predatory jack commonly seen schooling around Raja Ampat's current-swept reef points and pinnacles, sometimes alongside tuna during periods of higher pelagic activity.

Max size
Up to 1.7m
Habitat
Reef edges, current-swept points and pinnacles

Best places to dive with Giant trevally

rareoccasionalcommonly seenpeak season
Baa Atoll
Sighting likelihood by month
MonthLikelihood
Januarycommonly seen
Februarycommonly seen
Marchcommonly seen
Aprilcommonly seen
Maycommonly seen
Junecommonly seen
Julycommonly seen
Augustcommonly seen
Septembercommonly seen
Octobercommonly seen
Novembercommonly seen
Decembercommonly seen

Resident apex predator on Baa's channels and reef edges year-round, often hunting on current dives.

Fakarava
Sighting likelihood by month
MonthLikelihood
Januarycommonly seen
Februarycommonly seen
Marchcommonly seen
Aprilcommonly seen
Maycommonly seen
Junecommonly seen
Julycommonly seen
Augustcommonly seen
Septembercommonly seen
Octobercommonly seen
Novembercommonly seen
Decembercommonly seen

Giant trevally and other jacks hunt through the passes on the incoming tide, sometimes in fast-moving packs. Reliable in the pass drifts year-round.

Hin Daeng & Hin Muang
Sighting likelihood by month
MonthLikelihood
Januarycommonly seen
Februarycommonly seen
Marchcommonly seen
Aprilcommonly seen
Maycommonly seen
Junecommonly seen
Julycommonly seen
Augustcommonly seen
Septembercommonly seen
Octobercommonly seen
Novembercommonly seen
Decembercommonly seen

Trevally school and hunt along the walls; giant trevally are common among them.

Komodo
Sighting likelihood by month
MonthLikelihood
Januarycommonly seen
Februarycommonly seen
Marchcommonly seen
Aprilcommonly seen
Maycommonly seen
Junecommonly seen
Julycommonly seen
Augustcommonly seen
Septembercommonly seen
Octobercommonly seen
Novembercommonly seen
Decembercommonly seen

Year-round and current-dependent rather than season-dependent — they hunt where the flow concentrates baitfish, so the northern pinnacles and Batu Bolong on a running tide are the reliable places. Operators describe schools of fusiliers and trevally forming walls of silver in the current at Batu Bolong.

Palau
Sighting likelihood by month
MonthLikelihood
Januarycommonly seen
Februarycommonly seen
Marchcommonly seen
Aprilcommonly seen
Maycommonly seen
Junecommonly seen
Julycommonly seen
Augustcommonly seen
Septembercommonly seen
Octobercommonly seen
Novembercommonly seen
Decembercommonly seen

Schools in the channels, hunting in current.

Ribbon Reefs & Cod Hole
Sighting likelihood by month
MonthLikelihood
Januarycommonly seen
Februarycommonly seen
Marchcommonly seen
Aprilcommonly seen
Maycommonly seen
Junecommonly seen
Julycommonly seen
Augustcommonly seen
Septembercommonly seen
Octobercommonly seen
Novembercommonly seen
Decembercommonly seen

Resident; most active as a hunter on night dives at sheltered sites such as Challenger Bay. Seen year-round, encounters vary.

Bali
Sighting likelihood by month
MonthLikelihood
Januaryoccasional
Februaryoccasional
Marchoccasional
Apriloccasional
Mayoccasional
Juneoccasional
Julyoccasional
Augustoccasional
Septemberoccasional
Octoberoccasional
Novemberoccasional
Decemberoccasional

Hunting on the currents at Nusa Penida and around the Liberty wreck.

Bunaken
Sighting likelihood by month
MonthLikelihood
Januaryoccasional
Februaryoccasional
Marchoccasional
Apriloccasional
Mayoccasional
Juneoccasional
Julyoccasional
Augustoccasional
Septemberoccasional
Octoberoccasional
Novemberoccasional
Decemberoccasional

Large trevally hunt along the wall faces at Mandolin and Sachiko's; some individuals are reported at 80kg-plus size.

Gili Islands
Sighting likelihood by month
MonthLikelihood
Januaryoccasional
Februaryoccasional
Marchoccasional
Apriloccasional
Mayoccasional
Juneoccasional
Julyoccasional
Augustoccasional
Septemberoccasional
Octoberoccasional
Novemberoccasional
Decemberoccasional

Hunts along the current-swept drifts such as Halik, often with schooling snapper; occasional rather than resident.

Koh Lipe
Sighting likelihood by month
MonthLikelihood
Januaryoccasional
Februaryoccasional
Marchoccasional
Apriloccasional
Mayoccasional
Juneoccasional
Julyoccasional
Augustoccasional
Septemberoccasional
Octoberoccasional
Novemberoccasional
Decemberoccasional

Larger trevally hunt the exposed pinnacles, most often on the outer and offshore sites.

Koh Tao
Sighting likelihood by month
MonthLikelihood
Januaryoccasional
Februaryoccasional
Marchoccasional
Apriloccasional
Mayoccasional
Juneoccasional
Julyoccasional
Augustoccasional
Septemberoccasional
Octoberoccasional
Novemberoccasional
Decemberoccasional

Hunts around the offshore pinnacles, often alongside schooling smaller jacks and mackerel at Sail Rock, Chumphon and Southwest.

Phi Phi & Koh Lanta
Sighting likelihood by month
MonthLikelihood
Januaryoccasional
Februaryoccasional
Marchoccasional
Apriloccasional
Mayoccasional
Juneoccasional
Julyoccasional
Augustoccasional
Septemberoccasional
Octoberoccasional
Novemberoccasional
Decemberoccasional

Trevally hunt around the outer pinnacles and the wreck, most often on dives with some current.

Puerto Galera
Sighting likelihood by month
MonthLikelihood
Januaryoccasional
Februaryoccasional
Marchoccasional
Apriloccasional
Mayoccasional
Juneoccasional
Julyoccasional
Augustoccasional
Septemberoccasional
Octoberoccasional
Novemberoccasional
Decemberoccasional

Trevally and jacks school in the current at drift sites like The Canyons and the Verde Island drop-off. Most reliable where the current runs strong.

Raja Ampat
Sighting likelihood by month
MonthLikelihood
Januaryoccasional
Februaryoccasional
Marchoccasional
Apriloccasional
Mayoccasional
Juneoccasional
Julyoccasional
Augustoccasional
Septemberoccasional
Octoberoccasional
Novemberoccasional
Decemberoccasional

Schooling jacks are a regular feature of current-swept sites, with anecdotal reports of increased pelagic activity (tuna and jacks together) around September.

Sipadan
Sighting likelihood by month
MonthLikelihood
Januaryoccasional
Februaryoccasional
Marchoccasional
Apriloccasional
Mayoccasional
Juneoccasional
Julyoccasional
Augustoccasional
Septemberoccasional
Octoberoccasional
Novembernot seen
Decemberoccasional

Hunts the reef edge (Sipadan closed in November).

Surin Islands (Mu Ko Surin)
Sighting likelihood by month
MonthLikelihood
Januaryoccasional
Februaryoccasional
Marchoccasional
Apriloccasional
Mayoccasional
Juneoccasional
Julyoccasional
Augustoccasional
Septemberoccasional
Octoberoccasional
Novemberoccasional
Decemberoccasional

Hunts around exposed sites like Torinla Pinnacle and Koh Chi, often with schooling barracuda and fusiliers.

Sources & last checked

Checked July 2026

This is a researched draft, not yet human-verified. The seasonality and logistics are drawn from the sources below — confirm specifics (permits, fees, closures) with an operator before you book.

Note on the data: Sources reference 'jacks' and 'schooling pelagics' generically rather than confirming giant trevally specifically as the species — reasonable inference for the Indo-Pacific but not a species-level confirmation. Lower confidence than other entries; worth a targeted follow-up source.