Incredible moment 7ft bluefin tuna leaps out of the sea as 'king of fish' stages comeback in British waters

See more Daily Mail on Google - save us as a Preferred Source Published: 07:16 EDT, 24 September 2026 | Updated: 07:49 EDT, 24 September 2026 A huge 7ft bluefin tuna has staged a comeback to British waters as it was captured leaping out of the water.The Atlantic predator burst from the surface while hunting garfish off the south-west coast sending its prey hurtling into the air.Several of the 'king of fish' were seen flying out of the ocean by a kayaker who happened to be in the right place at the right time. Mr Kirkwood said: 'South-west England is one of the most fertile bodies of sea in the world because of the swirling tides.'Tuna are highly migratory. They arrive here in July time and clear off in November.'The sea was flat calm and so quiet apart from the noise of the tuna crashing into the water. It was an absolute complete and utter thrill for me to witness them.'The waters off Devon and Cornwall are currently teeming with bluefin tuna which migrate there every summer and leave before the winter. The warm-blooded fish is the largest of the tuna family and one of the ocean's most magnificent predators. A huge 7ft bluefin tuna has staged a comeback to British waters as it was captured leaping out of the water The Atlantic predator burst from the surface while hunting garfish off the south-west coast sending its prey hurtling into the air The waters off Devon and Cornwall are currently teeming with bluefin tuna which migrate there every summer and leave before the winter The warm-blooded fish is the largest of the tuna family and one of the ocean's most magnificent predatorsThey are unbelievably strong with the biggest specimens growing up to ten feet long and weighing more than 800lbs. Just last month, a 740lbs bluefin tuna was caught off the coast of Whitby, for the first time in six decades.'Seeing a shoal in action really is the most unbelievable sight,' Mitch Tonks a chef and restaurateur from Dartmouth, Devon previously told the Mail.'The water seethes and boils as the tuna drive their prey up to the surface. It just blows your mind,' he said.He added: 'It took me 30 minutes to fight and reel it in. You see the most incredible range of colours as the sun glints off their skin, green and yellows and blues... They really are the king of fish.' Bluefin tuna disappeared from British waters in the 1960s as overfishing pushed the species to the brink of extinction. By 2007, global tuna stocks were close to collapse. The International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) went on to launch a 15-year recovery plan for the species in 2007, alongside strict international fishing regulations.Its strategy has seen Eastern Atlantic numbers surge in Britain's seas. They are unbelievably strong with the biggest specimens growing up to ten feet long and weighing more than 800lbs Bluefin tuna disappeared from British waters in the 1960s as overfishing pushed the species to the brink of extinction The waters off the south-west coast have seen a resurgence in the big game species and it is now regarded as a 'world class' fishery for them Several of the 'king of fish' were seen flying out of the ocean by a kayaker who happened to be in the right place at the right timeIt has been so successful that by 2021, the species was not only removed from the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List, but there were more and more sightings along the south-west coast of England.The waters off the south-west coast have seen a resurgence in the big game species and it is now regarded as a 'world class' fishery for them.Although they are highly protected, the government has permitted licences to some fishermen to catch and land for the table and catch and release them for sport.In 2023, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) issued ten commercial vessels with fishing licences on a trial basis. This year, 30 commercial boats have been allowed to catch a total of four tons each.Licences are applied for by fishermen and awarded annually, for one year only, and each application goes through a strict process, meaning experience of commercial fishing is essential. But once you pass the criteria, you are entered into a pool and winners are drawn from a hat.