Yellowtail Kingfish

Photo: John Eichler · CC BY-NC

Yellowtail kingfish form large mid-water schools around Ball's Pyramid's exposed flanks, feeding on the abundant small pelagics concentrated by the pinnacle's hydrodynamic shadow. These powerful predators can exceed 50 kilograms and are capable of bursts of speed that make them nearly impossible to photograph when spooked, but at Ball's Pyramid their tolerance of divers is remarkably high given the site's minimal fishing pressure.