Pelagic fish
Giant trevally
Caranx ignobilis
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
| Month | Likelihood |
|---|---|
| January | commonly seen |
| February | commonly seen |
| March | commonly seen |
| April | commonly seen |
| May | commonly seen |
| June | commonly seen |
| July | commonly seen |
| August | commonly seen |
| September | commonly seen |
| October | commonly seen |
| November | commonly seen |
| December | commonly seen |
Resident apex predator on Baa's channels and reef edges year-round, often hunting on current dives.
| Month | Likelihood |
|---|---|
| January | commonly seen |
| February | commonly seen |
| March | commonly seen |
| April | commonly seen |
| May | commonly seen |
| June | commonly seen |
| July | commonly seen |
| August | commonly seen |
| September | commonly seen |
| October | commonly seen |
| November | commonly seen |
| December | commonly 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.
| Month | Likelihood |
|---|---|
| January | commonly seen |
| February | commonly seen |
| March | commonly seen |
| April | commonly seen |
| May | commonly seen |
| June | commonly seen |
| July | commonly seen |
| August | commonly seen |
| September | commonly seen |
| October | commonly seen |
| November | commonly seen |
| December | commonly seen |
Trevally school and hunt along the walls; giant trevally are common among them.
| Month | Likelihood |
|---|---|
| January | commonly seen |
| February | commonly seen |
| March | commonly seen |
| April | commonly seen |
| May | commonly seen |
| June | commonly seen |
| July | commonly seen |
| August | commonly seen |
| September | commonly seen |
| October | commonly seen |
| November | commonly seen |
| December | commonly 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.
| Month | Likelihood |
|---|---|
| January | commonly seen |
| February | commonly seen |
| March | commonly seen |
| April | commonly seen |
| May | commonly seen |
| June | commonly seen |
| July | commonly seen |
| August | commonly seen |
| September | commonly seen |
| October | commonly seen |
| November | commonly seen |
| December | commonly seen |
Schools in the channels, hunting in current.
| Month | Likelihood |
|---|---|
| January | commonly seen |
| February | commonly seen |
| March | commonly seen |
| April | commonly seen |
| May | commonly seen |
| June | commonly seen |
| July | commonly seen |
| August | commonly seen |
| September | commonly seen |
| October | commonly seen |
| November | commonly seen |
| December | commonly seen |
Resident; most active as a hunter on night dives at sheltered sites such as Challenger Bay. Seen year-round, encounters vary.
| Month | Likelihood |
|---|---|
| January | occasional |
| February | occasional |
| March | occasional |
| April | occasional |
| May | occasional |
| June | occasional |
| July | occasional |
| August | occasional |
| September | occasional |
| October | occasional |
| November | occasional |
| December | occasional |
Hunting on the currents at Nusa Penida and around the Liberty wreck.
| Month | Likelihood |
|---|---|
| January | occasional |
| February | occasional |
| March | occasional |
| April | occasional |
| May | occasional |
| June | occasional |
| July | occasional |
| August | occasional |
| September | occasional |
| October | occasional |
| November | occasional |
| December | occasional |
Large trevally hunt along the wall faces at Mandolin and Sachiko's; some individuals are reported at 80kg-plus size.
| Month | Likelihood |
|---|---|
| January | occasional |
| February | occasional |
| March | occasional |
| April | occasional |
| May | occasional |
| June | occasional |
| July | occasional |
| August | occasional |
| September | occasional |
| October | occasional |
| November | occasional |
| December | occasional |
Hunts along the current-swept drifts such as Halik, often with schooling snapper; occasional rather than resident.
| Month | Likelihood |
|---|---|
| January | occasional |
| February | occasional |
| March | occasional |
| April | occasional |
| May | occasional |
| June | occasional |
| July | occasional |
| August | occasional |
| September | occasional |
| October | occasional |
| November | occasional |
| December | occasional |
Larger trevally hunt the exposed pinnacles, most often on the outer and offshore sites.
| Month | Likelihood |
|---|---|
| January | occasional |
| February | occasional |
| March | occasional |
| April | occasional |
| May | occasional |
| June | occasional |
| July | occasional |
| August | occasional |
| September | occasional |
| October | occasional |
| November | occasional |
| December | occasional |
Hunts around the offshore pinnacles, often alongside schooling smaller jacks and mackerel at Sail Rock, Chumphon and Southwest.
| Month | Likelihood |
|---|---|
| January | occasional |
| February | occasional |
| March | occasional |
| April | occasional |
| May | occasional |
| June | occasional |
| July | occasional |
| August | occasional |
| September | occasional |
| October | occasional |
| November | occasional |
| December | occasional |
Trevally hunt around the outer pinnacles and the wreck, most often on dives with some current.
| Month | Likelihood |
|---|---|
| January | occasional |
| February | occasional |
| March | occasional |
| April | occasional |
| May | occasional |
| June | occasional |
| July | occasional |
| August | occasional |
| September | occasional |
| October | occasional |
| November | occasional |
| December | occasional |
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.
| Month | Likelihood |
|---|---|
| January | occasional |
| February | occasional |
| March | occasional |
| April | occasional |
| May | occasional |
| June | occasional |
| July | occasional |
| August | occasional |
| September | occasional |
| October | occasional |
| November | occasional |
| December | occasional |
Schooling jacks are a regular feature of current-swept sites, with anecdotal reports of increased pelagic activity (tuna and jacks together) around September.
| Month | Likelihood |
|---|---|
| January | occasional |
| February | occasional |
| March | occasional |
| April | occasional |
| May | occasional |
| June | occasional |
| July | occasional |
| August | occasional |
| September | occasional |
| October | occasional |
| November | not seen |
| December | occasional |
Hunts the reef edge (Sipadan closed in November).
| Month | Likelihood |
|---|---|
| January | occasional |
| February | occasional |
| March | occasional |
| April | occasional |
| May | occasional |
| June | occasional |
| July | occasional |
| August | occasional |
| September | occasional |
| October | occasional |
| November | occasional |
| December | occasional |
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.
- Diving in Raja Ampat — PADI
- Raja Ampat Dive Season Explained — Bluewater Dive Travel
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.