winter · off season
Offshore tuna in July: off season
Snoek weather and the best seabird watching of the year. Not a tuna month.
What are conditions like in July?
North-westerly, the stormiest month on the long-term average. Workable days: Low. Weather windows are short and need to be taken when they appear.
Come for the birds or the snoek, not the tuna. Whale sightings start on the inshore trips.
What is running in July?
Offshore water at the shelf edge sits between 15 and 17°C this month, against 13 to 16°C inshore. That gradient is what concentrates the fish.
- Cape snoek2–6 kgPeak
- Longfin tuna8–30 kgGood
- Red roman0.5–3 kgGood
- Cape bream0.4–2 kgGood
- Jacopever0.3–1.5 kgGood
- Cape gurnard0.3–2 kgGood
Planning a trip in July
Come for the birds or the snoek, not the tuna. Whale sightings start on the inshore trips.
Departure is set by daylight rather than by the clock. In July that means sunrise around 07:40 and sunset around 17:55, giving about 10.2 hours of usable light.
July at a glance
- Season
- winter, off season
- Daylight
- 10.2 hours
- Sunrise
- 07:40
- Sunset
- 17:55
- Sea temp inshore
- 13–16°C
- Sea temp offshore
- 15–17°C
- Trip length
- 9 to 12 hours
July rates
- Private charter, 9 to 12 hoursR 30 000
Adjacent months
Other months for the offshore tuna
July questions
Is July a good month for offshore tuna in Cape Town?
No. Offshore tuna is not run in July; the season is october to june.
What is the weather like off Cape Town in July?
North-westerly, the stormiest month on the long-term average. Workable days: Low. Weather windows are short and need to be taken when they appear. Daylight runs to about 10.2 hours, sunrise around 07:40 and sunset around 17:55.
What can you catch off Cape Town in July?
Cape snoek (peak), Longfin tuna (good), Red roman (good), Cape bream (good). Offshore water at the shelf edge runs 15 to 17°C.