Mola Mola

[Maika'i]

I am from San Diego and just started scuba diving. my 2nd dive ever off la jolla shores we saw a 5 foot mola mola aka ocean sun fish. I nearly died of excitement! anybody else ever see one of these or get any pictures?

 

[billsreef]

They are cool fish. Never saw one while diving, but I've seen plenty on the surface from boats or even feeding in one of the local inlets.

 

[Freed]

They go as far north as NY? Must not be warmer temp only fish.

 

[billsreef]

I've seen them as far up as Georges Banks. They come up during the warm weather of late spring through early fall.

 

[philter4]

I lived in San Diego for 13 years and have seen several while diving. Very interesting fish, neat to see while diving, too bad they are so big, it would make a really fascinating display if you could house an adult.

 

[Fin Mike]

We see them off the South Carolina coast all the time. At first you see the fin and think it's a shark, then you get closer and it's a sunfish. Ugly suckers, but neat to look at!

 

[David P]

did a days diving out at the Miguel (furthest Channel Island) it was a younger Mola Mola found our dive boat and was curious about the divers, it just hang around and greeted the divers as they came back from their dives. Pretty cool and of course no one had a camera that day.

 

[Maika'i]

It always works out that way! no camera

 

[Rossini]

we even get them off the south west coast of britian. amazing fish! some of them are real giants.

 

[Scuba_Dave]

My 1st day as a new diver I had one scare the crp outta me
I was swimming in on my back, my buddy was 30' down - still had air
I looked to the right & thi huge fin popped out of the water
I stuck my reg back in & stuck my head under water to see what it was
I was upright in the water, its fin extended out of the water about 2-3'
The rest of the fish extended down past my fins another 2-3'
I'm about 5'9", so I figure tip to tip the fish was around 10' or bigger

 

[sunfishh]

I am so jealous. My name is sunfishh because I love Molas. Congradulations on seeing them. Maybe one day I will be so lucky.

 

[Fin Mike]

I saw a monster 200lbs+ one today diving in 90 ft of water. It was close to the bottom, and being pelted by the usual suspects that would eat parasites (they are a repository for every marine parasite practically). My dive partner was freaking out with excitement over it, but I was to busy stalking the 20lbs grouper that was begging me to put a steel shaft in its head. Oh well, what do you do. :strooper:

 

[sunfishh]

Mike I think it is all of the paracites and tough skin that protect a slow nonstreamline fish from being food for every predator in the sea.

 

[Fin Mike]

Mike I think it is all of the paracites and tough skin that protect a slow nonstreamline fish from being food for every predator in the sea.

Definitely possible. It was huge and very ugly. However it was quite graceful for such a large beast. You do have to wonder why they are not on the dinner plate of more fish????????? :rollface:

 

[billsreef]

It's not the parasites, it's the sheer size of the fish. There are not many predators that can take down a 1000lb fish

 

[sunfishh]

Bill certainly the size is going to help. However I have heard that California Sealions kill them in Monterey Bay by biting off their fins. Apparently once they sink to the bottom the sealions leave them there to die and do not eat them.

 

[billsreef]

Interesting. Seems like strange behavior that they would gang up on a Mola to kill it without eating.

 

[sunfishh]

Yes it is weird but I saw it referenced in Dr. Milton Love's book Probally More Than You Wanted to Know About the Fishes of the Pacific Coast. IMO its a must read for westcoast divers.

 

[ctenophors rule]

not as strange as dolphin playing frizbee with live sting rays till they die.

i've read that mola mola ospring sink to the abysal pelagic, and grow up their, moving from bottom to top at night to feed on phytoplankton when they are least volnerable, but do not source me on that. i have also heard some people eat them, and the tase excelent, though you shouldn't, it would be worse than spearing a jew fish.

 

[SeaJayInSC]

If I remember correctly, I shot this about 15 miles offshore South Carolina about 10 years ago: http://www.deepsouthdivers.org/old/sunfish.mpg