The prized game fish, Makaira Indica, or the Black Marlin, dwells in the Indo-Pacific Oceans in surface waters near the coast. It is one of the fastest-moving fish on earth (50 miles per hour) and comes from the Order, Perciformes. The average weight of M. Indica that are routinely caught on Black Marlin Charters is around three quarters of a metric ton (750 kilograms) or roughly 1700 pounds. Heftier specimens have been reported.
Greenpeace
Makaira and other genera are on Greenpeace’s seafood red list. What this means is that they are very likely to be drawn from unsustainable sources. This is why the modern sport fisherman will capture them humanely, photograph them for posterity and return them to the sea from whence they came. Genus Makaira is from the same family, Istiophoridae, as the Hawaiian Silver Marlin and the Japanese White.
Santiago
Ernest Hemingway’s old fisherman, Santiago, made his fictional claim to fame when he broke a nearly three-month dry spell when he finally hooked a Makaira. The remainder of the novel, ‘The Old Man and the Sea’, captures the chronology of the old man’s brave struggle with the beast and Mother Nature.
Color
Despite its descriptive name, M. Indica is not actually black but white and deep blue. It’s tail fins and inflexible pectoral fins, however, are black. Its cross section is more oval than round, unlike its blue cousin, and its ventral fins are rarely longer than 12 inches, no matter how big the fish itself is. It likes warm tropical and subtropical waters near coastland. Occasionally it makes an appearance as far south as Brazil and as far north as the Lesser Antilles.
Popular Tours
Some of the best charter fishing tours for M. Indica originate off the eastern coast of Australia. Nearly three quarters of all marlin of more than one ton in weight are caught over a 150 mile-long stretch of the Great Barrier Reef off the coast of Cairns. This is roughly twice the amount caught around Brazil, Portugal and Hawaii combined.
Brisbane’s Gold Coast
The Gold Coast at Brisbane is a very popular gathering place for light tackle enthusiasts seeking Makaira and other game fish. Here they can trawl for Spanish Mackerel, Mia, Wahoo and others. Bottom fishers, otherwise known as ‘jiggers’, come here to find Kingfish, Cobia, Peal Perch and Snapper.
Port Stephens
Off the south west coast of Australia lies Port Stephens, a port more than twice the size of nearby Sydney Harbor. This world-class spot for Black Marlin Fishing also offers spectacular views, golden, sandy beaches and crystal clear waters. Tours here run from the month of January to April.
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