Mahi (Dolphin)

Coryphaena hippurus

Depth0–2,000 ft +

Spring into summer along the same bluewater edge, often under weed lines a mile off the beach.

Typical15–30 lb24–42 in
Largest recorded87 lb6 ft
Depth range0–279 ftspecies-wide
IGFA all-tackle87 lbPapagayo, Costa Rica (Gulf of Papagayo) · 1976

How big, really

A mahi (dolphin) and a six-foot adult, drawn to one scale.

A six-foot adult man standing for scale, drawn to the same scale as the fish — Both drawn to one scale from the sourced length below. The fish is an illustration, not a photograph; the human figure is a stipulated 6 ft (1.83 m) reference, not a measurement.

Mahi (Dolphin) drawn 3 ft 6 in long beside a six-foot adult at the same scale — Both drawn to one scale from the sourced length below. The fish is an illustration, not a photograph; the human figure is a stipulated 6 ft (1.83 m) reference, not a measurement.

The mahi (dolphin) year

Twelve months around the dial, straight from the island's season data — peak months reach the outer ring. Pick a month to see what else is running. Peak: Apr, May, Jun.

Field notes

How it is fished: Trolling natural bait or lures along weedlines, sargassum mats, and floating debris; once fish are located, anglers often switch to sight-casting to the visible school around the structure.
What it eats: Small oceanic fishes — flying fish make up roughly 25% of the diet by weight — plus man-o-war fish, sargassum fish, triggerfish, and pelagic larvae of other fish and invertebrates. Hunts by day, often in pairs or small packs.
Worth knowing: Mahi-mahi grow extremely fast, reaching sexual maturity in just 4-5 months, with a maximum lifespan of only about 4 years — one of the fastest growth rates of any large gamefish, which also lets the species tolerate heavy fishing pressure unusually well.
Conservation & rules: IUCN Red List: Least Concern (2010 assessment, current as of the 2025.1 Red List update) — high resilience due to rapid growth and very high fecundity. Not currently listed as overfished by NOAA/ICCAT-adjacent assessments.

The record

87 lbIGFA all-tackle world record

Angler Manuel Salazar · Papagayo, Costa Rica (Gulf of Papagayo) · 1976 · 5 ft 10 in long

Source

Where it lives

The island's relief model with bluewater lit — 2,000 ft +, the Gulf Stream edge, a mile off the beach. Drag it to change the angle.

4 of 8 mapped — 4 without usable coordinates, all listed belowEvery charter and guide the directory holds. Which boats work which water changes with the season and the weather — ask when you call.Seabed: GMRT · Coastline: © OpenStreetMap contributors

The Bimini story

Mahi run Bimini's bluewater edge in spring into summer, often found under weedlines a mile or so off the beach, per longstanding local fishing reputation. No specific IGFA record or documented Bimini mahi tournament milestone could be verified.

Sources

What we could not verify (2)

Exact IGFA record could not be re-confirmed directly on igfa.org's live database; relied on consistent secondary reporting across multiple sources.
Any Bimini-specific mahi record or tournament connection.