The International Underwater Spearfishing Association

International Underwater Spearfishing Association

World Record

36.7 kg. , 80.9 lbs.

Tuna, Pacific Bluefin Thunnus orientalis

Record Category: Women Speargun

Diver:		Dr Kelsey Albert
Date:		6/17/2018
Location:		UNITED STATES

On the Southern Cross, Captained by Keith Love, we left San Diego Harbor in pursuit of Pacific Bluefin Tuna about 9 am. The sea was calm, with very little wind, mostly overcast skies, and very mild current. Divers included myself, Keith, Blake, and Dave. We were chasing white terns working breezing tuna schools and metering fish all day. We would make dives and were schooled by hundreds of fish in the 25-50 lb class. Visibility was murky under 60 feet, sometimes less than 30 feet. Water temps up to 72 degrees at the surface. Around mid afternoon, we found a group of very boat shy tuna with terns working the bait. We positioned the boat in front of the school and I dove down to about 45 feet. It was very murky and the tuna were moving extremely fast. I took a shot in almost brown dark green water at a tuna speeding by that was the largest I saw. I hit it in the tail and it immediately took line. I was using a RedTide 130cm Pelagic series rear handled gun, rigged with 3 bands, and a custom 7mm shaft with a rest tab welded on, red tide slip tip with spectra cord, steel cable shooting line, tuna cliped to a 75' Riffe Bungee float line, with terminal float a Riffe 2ATM float with Tuna Clips, and a Homemade LifeGuard Can Float as my cinching float to hoist up my fish, and also to absorb more shock before the terminal 2ATM float. I alerted the boat I had a fish on, and told the Navy Seal Divers to watch me, but under NO circumstances touch my lines in any way. I hoisted my fish closer to the surface with the lifeguard can float using a tuna clip like a clutch. As it neared the end of the bungee line, I asked the divers on the boat, including Keith to hand me my UNLOADED second shot gun, a Riffe NOKAOI midhandle gun, prerigged with a 100' White Neptonics PVC float line, Flopper shaft at 5/16 thickness, breakaway, terminal float was literally a side tie boat bumper float. I loaded my second gun MYSELF in the water, dove down and stoned the tuna by shooting through the pectoral area from the ventral aspect, and it came out of the eye socket of the other side. The flopper shaft penetrated both the heart and brain. With my fish completely under my control, I swam it over to the boat transom, and pushed it up into the swim step door. At the point where I positioned the fish weight on the transom, the divers on the boat were allowed to pull the fish the rest of the way into the vessel as I pushed. I got into the boat, and thanked God for gifting me such an incredible chance to land this fish with great friends. This was honest hard work I have chased for years and I did it pulling my own weight. I felt like I truly earned this one. A huge thanks to Captain Keith Love and Krista Marie of the Southern Cross Charter, by Tuff Extreme for always safely getting me to where I need to be in the ocean to chase my dreams. I am very proud of this achievement. Thank you to God, my family, and friends.
Make Certificate