spring · off season
Offshore tuna in September: off season
Spring, and the last of the albatrosses overlapping with the first signs of the summer run.
What are conditions like in September?
Transitional. South-easterly returning, north-westerly fading. Workable days: Good, with more settled mornings than the previous three months.
The best month to see whales and seabirds on the same trip. Tuna are not yet reliable.
What is running in September?
Offshore water at the shelf edge sits between 15 and 18°C this month, against 13 to 16°C inshore. That gradient is what concentrates the fish.
- Longfin tuna8–30 kgGood
- Cape snoek2–6 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 September
The best month to see whales and seabirds on the same trip. Tuna are not yet reliable.
Departure is set by daylight rather than by the clock. In September that means sunrise around 06:45 and sunset around 18:30, giving about 11.9 hours of usable light.
September at a glance
- Season
- spring, off season
- Daylight
- 11.9 hours
- Sunrise
- 06:45
- Sunset
- 18:30
- Sea temp inshore
- 13–16°C
- Sea temp offshore
- 15–18°C
- Trip length
- 9 to 12 hours
September rates
- Private charter, 9 to 12 hoursR 30 000
Adjacent months
Other months for the offshore tuna
September questions
Is September a good month for offshore tuna in Cape Town?
No. Offshore tuna is not run in September; the season is october to june.
What is the weather like off Cape Town in September?
Transitional. South-easterly returning, north-westerly fading. Workable days: Good, with more settled mornings than the previous three months. Daylight runs to about 11.9 hours, sunrise around 06:45 and sunset around 18:30.
What can you catch off Cape Town in September?
Longfin tuna (good), Cape snoek (good), Red roman (good), Cape bream (good). Offshore water at the shelf edge runs 15 to 18°C.