Height
4 meters
Year Built
1991
Address
Tasman Terrace, Port Lincoln, SA 5606
The Lowdown
The Big Tuna in Port Lincoln celebrates the southern bluefin tuna that has made this fishing town one of Australia's wealthiest per capita. This impressive sculpture captures the sleek, powerful form of the bluefin tuna, a fish so valuable that a single specimen can sell for over $1 million in Japanese markets. Port Lincoln is the heart of Australia's tuna industry, where innovative fish farming techniques have created a multibillion-dollar export industry. The town has produced more millionaires per capita than anywhere else in Australia, all thanks to this magnificent fish. The Big Tuna invites visitors to explore a working fishing port where massive boats, processing plants, and the smell of the sea create an authentic maritime atmosphere.
Did you know?
"Most of Port Lincoln's tuna is exported to Japan for sushi and sashimi"
History
The Big Tuna was erected in 1991 to celebrate Port Lincoln's tuna industry, which revolutionized in the 1990s when farmers began capturing wild tuna and fattening them in sea pens for the lucrative Japanese sashimi market. A single tuna can sell for over $1 million at Tokyo's fish market, making Port Lincoln's catch incredibly valuable. The industry has made the town famous for having more millionaires per capita than anywhere else in Australia.
More Fun Facts
- •A single bluefin tuna sold for $3.1 million at Tokyo's Tsukiji market in 2019
- •Port Lincoln has more millionaires per capita than any Australian town
- •Southern bluefin tuna can swim at 70km/h
- •Tuna farming in Port Lincoln began in the early 1990s
- •Most of Port Lincoln's tuna is exported to Japan for sushi and sashimi
Visiting Tips
- 💡Try fresh tuna at Port Lincoln's excellent restaurants
- 💡Visit during Tunarama Festival for tuna-tossing competitions
- 💡Take a shark cage diving trip - Port Lincoln is famous for great whites
- 💡Fresh oysters and other seafood are excellent here too
- 💡The Eyre Peninsula coastal drive offers stunning scenery
Opening Hours
The Big Tuna can be viewed at any time.
More Big Things Nearby
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An impressive 8-metre tall pink and grey galah sculpture marking the halfway point across Australia between Sydney and Perth.
Big Orange
Australia's largest big fruit at 15 metres tall and 12 metres wide, a former cafe and viewing platform celebrating the Riverland's citrus industry.
Big Rocking Horse
An 18.3-meter tall steel and concrete rocking horse overlooking the Adelaide Hills, complete with internal viewing platforms and a wildlife park.