Can I spearfish the Foça islands?

No. The monk-seal reserve closes diving and fishing around Siren Kayalıkları and Orak Adası.

Are mainland spots automatically allowed?

No. Stay on the mainland and still verify the reserve boundary locally.

Which permit applies?

From 1 January 2026, the Amatör Balıkçı Belgesi must be marked for the diving method.

Can I use scuba or hookah?

No. Foça follows the national breath-hold-only rule.

Can I hunt after dark?

No. Night spearfishing is banned.

Foça spearfishing forecast — Turkey

Foça · Turkey

8.1

wave 0.1 m

visibility4m

Dive today — wave, wind and visibility.

Sources: Open-Meteo · Copernicus · Sentinel-2 — high confidence · data 06:01

Sources & confidence

Sources: Open-Meteo · Copernicus · Sentinel-2
Method: spearo sea-state engine: consensus of up to 6 models + satellite clarity (ZSD) + buoy-bias checks
Freshness: Re-read every hour, per coast

Compiled by the spearo sea-state engine · How it works →

The verdict comes from seven water factors and hard safety gates — not ten tabs. Go or stay.

How we score the water

Our own model

Our own forecast engine — not a third-party widget. It weighs these water factors into one go-or-stay verdict for this coast; the 0–10 dial is that verdict, read out as a number.

Swell & wave memory: Height, period and direction of the swell, plus the wake of recent storms — an old storm still stirs the water, and the engine remembers.
Wind & gusts: Speed and gusts, hour by hour — wind speed and an onshore push chop the surface and cut visibility.
Tide phase: Timing and range of the tide, calibrated per coast — big spring tides pull the verdict toward caution.
Water temperature: Sea-surface temperature — sharply cold water vetoes a green verdict.
Currents & outflow: Direction and drift of the current — it pushes you, and it drags turbid coastal water across where you dive.
Rain runoff & air clarity: Rain muddies the water inshore through land runoff, while fog and haze cut visibility at the surface.
Coast shape & exposure: How the coast faces the swell — a sheltered cove keeps the water clean; an exposed, head-on point takes a penalty.

Safety gates

Thunderstorm forecast — an instant red, no exceptions.
An official warning (MeteoAlarm / IPMA) — yellow, or red for the higher ranks.
Missing input data — a would-be green is capped to yellow rather than overstated.
Strong disagreement between forecast models — a green day is pulled back to yellow.
Night hours — where night spearfishing is banned by law the window is forced red; where it is legal (Australia outside NSW, New Zealand, South Africa) it is capped at yellow, never green.

It all folds into a single 0–10 score and one verdict: go or stay.

A forecast, not a guarantee — the sea has the last word.

Where to get in, where to hunt

Entry points with coordinates

Seabed relief — promising ground

This verdict — in your pocket. Open the app for the week's window.

Google Play — QR code — point your camera

0 m

Surface

Wind, wave and the swell windows — when to go and the best hours.

spearo.app

updated 06:01

Outer coast — breakwater & islets (meltemi side) — solo, off the rocks

BEST WINDOW

best weather window · solo, stay careful, run the checklist · calm conditions: swell, wind and visibility all normal

wave 0.1 mwind 6 km/hvisibility ~4 mwindow 06:00–21:00

today, best window 06:00–09:00

fish · Visibility 4 m · Water 20.9°C

confidence high · verdict for the selected day

Whole week — tap a day. is driving swell right now.

Solo risk: carry a float · tell someone your plan and exit time · doubt = don't go. A model-based planner; the call is made on site.

Selected day

Windows, hours
and the day's trends.

The day is picked above, in the hero. Here are that day's windows, the hour-by-hour map and the trends. Tap a window to break down the conditions.

Sunday · today2026-10-25

07:32–18:21 · full moon

▲ 04:00▼ 09:00▲ 16:00▼ 21:00 · 0.2 m

Hours (06→20)

Day's trends

Tide-0.44 m

Wave0.02 m

Wind4 km/h

Water21 °C

fish activity: moonset 06:34 · moderate · moon underfoot 12:10 · high · moonrise 17:38 · moderate · moon overhead 00:00 · high

Conditions window06:00–09:00

best weather window · solo, stay careful, run the checklist fish

Hs 0.08 m · calmperiod 2.7 swind 6→10surge 0viz 4 m

0.08 mcalm · up to ~0.16 · 317° at an angle

2.7 sswell moderate

6→10gusts 10 km/h

0weak surge

0.11m/s

4 mrecent swell

20.9°C5 mm + hood

▼09:00tide turn near

Atmosphere23 kmovercast

moderatemoonset

calm conditions: swell, wind and visibility all normal
dawn/dusk

confidence hightwilight

Open the seafloor map with entry points

More spots

Spots in Turkey

🇹🇷Turkey

Turkey map →

İzmir

North Aegean

South Aegean

Marmara

Feedback

Help us make it better

What's missing? Tell us what you'd like to see — new spots, species, data or features. We read everything.

Where to get in
off the rocks.

Scouted entries, coloured by today. The colour is the sea state at the spot, not a guarantee: the wash and a slippery entry you judge on site.

Open the seafloor map

Fener Adası (Oğlakada)Outer coast — breakwater & islets (meltemi side)

borderline

⛔ Banned here

exposed head-on to the swell today

window: —

Islet 5–25 m, swim-out/boat; dentex, sea bream, pandora, current present, Foça SEPA — mind the monk-seal zone rules. Coords approx. ⛔ The mark lies INSIDE diving-ban area E11 (annex to BKK 2016/8743; Tebliğ 2024/21 md. 17(3)) — on the CONSERVATIVE boundary: the seaward edge is the act's own coordinates, the shore-side edge is our chord (Türkiye publishes no official coastline), so the mark may be inside the act or only inside our chord. Check with the local liman başkanlığı before you go.

Google Maps

Güvercin Adası (Yeni Foça)Outer coast — breakwater & islets (meltemi side)

borderline

⛔ Banned here

exposed head-on to the swell today

window: —

Islet 3–18 m, swim-out/boat; sea bream, two-banded bream, octopus, good rocky structure, Foça SEPA — mind the monk-seal zone rules. Coords approx. ⛔ The mark lies INSIDE diving-ban area E11 (annex to BKK 2016/8743; Tebliğ 2024/21 md. 17(3)) — on the CONSERVATIVE boundary: the seaward edge is the act's own coordinates, the shore-side edge is our chord (Türkiye publishes no official coastline), so the mark may be inside the act or only inside our chord. Check with the local liman başkanlığı before you go.

Google Maps

Outer breakwater (mainland)Outer coast — breakwater & islets (meltemi side)

borderline

exposed head-on to the swell today

window: —

Outer mole, 0–10 m, shore; easy entry, boat traffic. Coords approx.

Google Maps

Bağarası / Küçükdeniz (mainland)South coves — Sazlıca & Küçükdeniz

borderline

exposed head-on to the swell today

window: —

Sheltered mainland cove, rock/sand 0–12 m, shore; do not enter the reserve. Coords approx.

Google Maps

Sazlıca / Değirmenli (mainland)South coves — Sazlıca & Küçükdeniz

borderline

exposed head-on to the swell today

window: —

Mainland south rocky point, 0–15 m, shore; away from the reserve boundary. Coords approx.

Google Maps

SOLO is the biggest risk: underwater you can black out from lack of oxygen silently and fatally, with no one around. Solo is never truly «safe». Below are the best weather windows; carry a buoy, tell someone your plan and exit time, and any doubt — don't go.

What's in season,
what the law says.

In season now

European seabass
Dicentrarchus labrax · 0–15 m · tebliğ 6/2
gilthead seabream
Sparus aurata · 2–20 m · tebliğ 6/2
common dentex
Dentex dentex · 12–40 m · tebliğ 6/2
white seabream
Diplodus sargus · 0–12 m · tebliğ 6/2
two-banded seabream
Diplodus vulgaris · 1–15 m · tebliğ 6/2
common pandora
Pagellus erythrinus · 10–40 m · tebliğ 6/2
meagre
Argyrosomus regius · 5–30 m · tebliğ 6/2
leerfish
Lichia amia · 2–20 m · tebliğ 6/2
bluefish
Pomatomus saltatrix · 0–20 m · tebliğ 6/2
Min 18 cm (lüfer <14 cm = «çinekop» — separate rule).
red mullet
Mullus barbatus · 3–30 m · tebliğ 6/2
tub gurnard
Chelidonichthys lucerna · 5–30 m · tebliğ 6/2
white grouper
Epinephelus aeneus · 15–45 m · ⚠️ 1/day
⚠️ Lagos: min 50 cm, with a speargun max 1/day, closed season 1 Jun–31 Aug (Çizelge 7). A vulnerable, slow-growing species — do NOT take it. Its cousin orfoz is FULLY BANNED.
dusky grouper
Epinephelus marginatus · 8–35 m · 🚫 BANNED (Çizelge 1)
🚫 Orfoz is FULLY BANNED (Çizelge 1, RG 11.08.2024 №32629) — not a legal target. Size is irrelevant: do not take it, release it.
pufferfish
Lagocephalus spp. · 2–40 m · invasive
☠️ DO NOT EAT: deadly TTX toxin (not destroyed by cooking, no antidote). Amateur rule: kill it and throw it back to open sea — bringing it ashore/into a harbour is BANNED (3,770 TL fine). No bounty for amateurs (commercial SUBİS boats only).
lionfish
Pterois miles · 5–40 m · invasive
Invasive (venomous spines!). There is NO official amateur permit/reward for culling — never grab bare-handed, treat a sting with hot water (>45 °C). Flesh is edible.
rabbitfish
Siganus spp. · 2–20 m · invasive
Invasive (Eastern Med). Apparently no dedicated size/count/season limit (not confirmed against the current tebliğ — verify). Venomous spines — remove carefully.

Law

✓Since 1 Jan 2026 amateur spearfishing requires an Amatör Balıkçı Belgesi marked for the diving method (Tebliğ 2024/21, md. 16(4)(ç); the document itself is issued under md. 4(1), via e-Devlet, valid 5 years) — the old citizen exemption no longer applies to spearguns. A FOREIGN TOURIST is still NOT automatically entitled to spearfish solo (md. 5): the documented route is a licensed av-turizmi boat/guide OR a permit (pusula) from the district agriculture directorate. Get the belge, then the permit or a guide.
✓Breath-hold + snorkel only — scuba/hookah/spare-air are banned (Tebliğ 2024/21, md. 16(4)(b)). Night prohibited — sunset to sunrise (md. 16(4)(a)). A buoy showing your position is MANDATORY (md. 16(4)(c)). Spearfishing is banned inside buoyed swimming areas (1 Apr–15 Nov, ≤200 m from shore — md. 16(5)) and in ports, fishing shelters and slipways (md. 17(4)).
✓Invasives: the lionfish (aslan balığı) — invasive, ⚠️ venomous spines; there is NO official amateur permit/reward for taking it. The pufferfish (balon balığı) ☠️ NEVER EAT — tetrodotoxin, no antidote; kill it and return it to the open sea, BRINGING IT ASHORE/TO PORT IS BANNED. Exact sizes and zones — in the species card and the guide.
✓The speargun is lawful amateur gear AT SEA (Tebliğ 2024/21, md. 16(2)(a)). In INLAND waters — lakes, reservoirs, rivers — the speargun and the hand harpoon are banned outright (md. 13(2)).
✓Selling an amateur catch, moving it alive or releasing it into other waters is prohibited (Tebliğ 2024/21, md. 8(1)). The weight limit is 5 kg per person per outing, one species or mixed; a single fish over 5 kg is legal in itself, but the rest without it must fit in 4 kg (md. 15(4)). For species limited by count, no more than 3 fish in total per person per outing, however many days it lasts (md. 15(5)).
✓Minimum sizes and per-species counts come from the tebliğ's Çizelge 7: keeping fish below the stated length or above the stated number is prohibited (Tebliğ 2024/21, md. 15(1)); on lengths there is a 5 % downward tolerance (note 2 to the same table).
✓Totally protected species — Çizelge 1 (Tebliğ 2024/21, md. 6(1)): the DUSKY GROUPER (Epinephelus marginatus), most sharks and rays, the monk seal, sea turtles, Pinna nobilis, red coral, Posidonia oceanica, the European eel, the seahorse, Maja squinado, Tonna galea and cetaceans. They may be taken neither at sea nor in inland waters.
✓Light as a fishing method is banned in amateur fishing; lighting up to 50 W for safety on board or ashore does not count (Tebliğ 2024/21, md. 8(8)). Fishing closer than 100 m to the boundaries of sea cages, or 200 m to shore-based facilities, is prohibited (md. 8(5)).

Safety protocol

Sets: watch the wave trains ≥15 min before entering; Hmax ≈ 2×Hs, the wash can run 50 m past the foam line. A lull >10 min with period >12 s = a big set «overdue», do NOT enter; enter right after a full set passes and re-check at minute 30.
Exit FIRST: find your exit AND a backup before entering. On a rocky/boulder shore a 0.5 m rise in swell can make the exit impossible — getting pinned/unable to climb out is the main killer.
Headland rip: prominent points often have a permanent topographic rip regardless of the model — locate it, enter/exit on the windward side, never swim against it.
Cold: wetsuit per the SST chip; the first shiver = a metabolic surge and a drop in breath-hold → get out at the first steady shiver. Cap the session at 45–60 min below 15 °C.
Solo discipline: buoy up; tell someone the spot and exit time; conservative breath-hold (never push it in cold/murky/surfy water); visibility <3 m — don't enter.
Afternoon wind: on many coasts the wind builds from midday — plan to be out of the water by midday; the chop builds — get out.
UV 11:00–15:00 (UVI ≥6): sunscreen and cover up on the surface interval.
Solo is a fundamental risk (hypoxic blackout with no buddy). Any doubt = No-go.

Spearfishing in Foça: spots, seasons and rules

Updated 2026-07-09 · By Oleksandr, spearfisher

Foça is less about finding an island and more about not entering the wrong one. The key local rule is the monk-seal reserve around Siren Kayalıkları and Orak Adası: diving, fishing, gathering and anchoring are forbidden, so spearguns stay away from the islands. Mainland options such as Sazlıca/Değirmenli, the outer breakwater and Bağarası/Küçükdeniz must still be read with boundary checks, boat traffic and visible float discipline. Expect 5-9 m visibility, rocky points and small coves; the summer meltemi hits north and west faces while south coves may shelter. Since 1 January 2026, the Amatör Balıkçı Belgesi needs the diving method; use apnea only and do not spearfish at night.

TL;DR

Foça is boundary-led: Siren Kayalıkları and Orak Adası are monk-seal reserve water where diving and fishing are forbidden.

Keep the plan on the mainland, away from the reserve, with 5-9 m visibility and meltemi pressure on north/west faces.

The permit rule is unchanged: diving-method Amatör Balıkçı Belgesi from 1 January 2026, breath-hold only, no night spearfishing.

Which Foça rows stay on the mainland?

Do not read this as an island route. The islands are closed by the monk-seal reserve. These mainland rows only work after checking the reserve boundary and local signs: a south rocky point, an outer mole with traffic, and a sheltered cove.

Spot	Type	Depth	Level	Access	Notes
Sazlıca / Değirmenli (mainland)	Rocky point	0-15m	Intermediate	Shore	Mainland south rocky point, 0-15 m from shore; the reserve-boundary check is part of the dive decision.
Outer breakwater (mainland)	Breakwater rock	0-10m	Intermediate	Shore or boat	Outer mole, 0-10 m from shore; easy entry but boat traffic and harbour influence dominate the safety read.
Bağarası / Küçükdeniz (mainland)	Rocky cove	0-12m	Intermediate	Shore	Sheltered mainland rock/sand cove, 0-12 m; stay away from the reserve and verify the local line.

Surface

Windows, hours
and the day's trends.

Spots in Turkey

🇹🇷Turkey

İzmir

North Aegean

South Aegean

Marmara

Help us make it better

The water column

A marine instrument,
go / no-go for solo hunting.

The seabed

The forecast is the plan.
The call is on the rock.

Where to get in
off the rocks.

Surfacing

What's in season,
what the law says.

Spearfishing in Foça: spots, seasons and rules

TL;DR

Which Foça rows stay on the mainland?

West Mediterranean (Turkey)

West Black Sea

What controls Foça?

FAQ

Sources

Nearby towns

Foça spearfishing forecast — wind, swell, visibility & live cameras

Windows, hours and the day's trends.

Get the go / no-go verdict for Foça by email

Spots in Turkey

🇹🇷Turkey

İzmir

North Aegean

South Aegean

Marmara

Help us make it better

A marine instrument, go / no-go for solo hunting.

The forecast is the plan.The call is on the rock.

Where to get in off the rocks.

What's in season, what the law says.

TL;DR

Which Foça rows stay on the mainland?

West Mediterranean (Turkey)

West Black Sea

What controls Foça?

FAQ

Sources

Nearby towns

Windows, hours
and the day's trends.

A marine instrument,
go / no-go for solo hunting.

The forecast is the plan.
The call is on the rock.

Where to get in
off the rocks.

What's in season,
what the law says.