The Mola Mola or Oceanic Sunfish is one of the most interesting wonders of the deep that divers will ever get the chance to encounter.
What do we know about the Mola Mola?
Very often the Mola Mola is referred to as the Sunfish. Such a nickname was given because of its habit of spending quite a bit of time at the surface of the ocean, catching some of the warm rays from the sun. Sometimes sunfish are even mistaken for sharks due to their large dorsal fin. But in fact, the oceanic sunfish is quite a docile, harmless fish and poses no threat to scuba divers.
The Mola Mola is the heaviest of all bony fish. They can reach up to 3m/10ft with an average weight of 1,000kg/2204 lbs. The Sunfish are easily recognizable from their shape, like a massive flattened bullet with long fins jutting from the top and bottom.
They generally eat jellyfish, complemented by squid, crustaceans, eelgrass, fish larvae, small fishes, zooplankton, and comb jellies.
Where to see and dive with the Sunfish?
They can be found in temperate and tropical oceans around the world — from Southern California to the mid-Atlantic.
Probably, one of the most popular places to dive with the Mola Mola is the coast of Bali, Indonesia.
July through November is the time of year known as the Mola Mola season and you can dive with them at some of Bali’s best dive sites, such as Nusa Penida, Nusa Lembongan, and Padangbai & Candidasa.