Marmara Island spearfishing forecast — wind, swell, visibility, tides & live cameras

• European seabassmin 25 cm
  Dicentrarchus labrax · 0–15 m · tebliğ 6/2
• gilthead seabreammin 20 cm
  Sparus aurata · 2–20 m · tebliğ 6/2
• common dentexmin 35 cm
  Dentex dentex · 12–40 m · tebliğ 6/2
• white seabreammin 21 cm
  Diplodus sargus · 0–12 m · tebliğ 6/2
• two-banded seabreammin 18 cm
  Diplodus vulgaris · 1–15 m · tebliğ 6/2
• common pandoramin 15 cm
  Pagellus erythrinus · 10–40 m · tebliğ 6/2
• meagremin 25 cm
  Argyrosomus regius · 5–30 m · tebliğ 6/2
• leerfishmin 40 cm
  Lichia amia · 2–20 m · tebliğ 6/2
• bluefishmin 18 cm
  Pomatomus saltatrix · 0–20 m · tebliğ 6/2
  Min 18 cm (lüfer <14 cm = «çinekop» — separate rule).
• red mulletmin 12 cm
  Mullus barbatus · 3–30 m · tebliğ 6/2
• tub gurnardmin 18 cm
  Chelidonichthys lucerna · 5–30 m · tebliğ 6/2
• white groupermin 50 cm
  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.

• ✓Since 1 Jan 2026 amateur spearfishing requires an Amatör Balıkçı Belgesi marked for the diving method (dalma yöntemi, 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 (art. 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 (art. 16/4-b). Night prohibited (art. 16/4-a). A marker buoy is MANDATORY (art. 16/4-c). Spearfishing is banned in bathing areas (season 1 Apr–15 Nov, ≤200 m from shore) and in ports/marinas (art. 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.

• ⛔ Sturgeon (Acipenseridae, mersin) — total ban (Çizelge 1, whole country).
• ⛔ Sea trout (Salmo, deniz alası) — take prohibited.
• ⛔ Orfoz / dusky grouper (Epinephelus marginatus) — TOTAL ban (Çizelge 1, RG 11.08.2024 №32629). Lagos (E. aeneus) is allowed with a limit (50 cm, 1/day, closed 1 Jun–31 Aug).
• ⛔ Mediterranean monk seal (Monachus monachus) — strictly protected; in its shelter caves any diving/hunting/anchoring is banned (m.17/2).
• ⛔ Sea turtles (Caretta caretta, Chelonia mydas) — protected, taking/disturbing prohibited.

Rules change and the 6/2 tebliğ renews in September 2028. Before heading out, check with the district agriculture directorate (il/ilçe müdürlüğü) and the coast guard (Sahil Güvenlik); as a tourist, get the permit or go with a licensed guide.

• 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.