The Sunfish

The Majestic Giant of the Seas

The Sunfish

The Majestic Giant of the Seas

TYPE
Mola alexandrini

TYPE
Mola Alexandrini

SIZE
4 meters and up to 2 tones

SIZE
4 meters and
up to 2 tones

SEASON
Mid-July to Mid-October

SEASON
Mid-July
to Mid-October

HABITAT
400 – 600
meters depth

HABITAT
400 – 600 meters depth

The Dwellers of the Depth

What Do We Know About Mola Mola Bali?

When divers think of Bali and especially Nusa Penida, they will most certainly picture an encounter with a Mola mola. Having said that, we accommodate Scuba Divers who have traveled far and wide in the pursuit of a rare sighting. It truly is an alien-like fish that is so strange that it’s hard to imagine until you see one, yourself. Notably, the Mola mola, dwell in the depths of some of our dive sites.

With this in mind, the best time of year to scout for this mysterious creature is usually from July – August. Be sure to join our Mola mola Bali diving trips in order to tick this one off the list.
The Mola mola Nusa Lembongan belongs to a family called Ocean Sunfish. Contrary to popular belief, the most common sunfish species in our waters is not actually the Mola mola. Rather, you will most likely spot the Mola Alexandrini, also known as the Bumphead sunfish. However, it is possible to see other species of sunfish. Mola mola, also known as the Common sunfish have been spotted in our waters on several occasions.

They are simply massive fish. In fact, they are the largest bony fish in the world. They can reach over 4m tall, 3m long, and weigh over 2000kg. This is definitely a huge bucket list sighting for divers all around the world.The Sunfish on average have a lifespan of around 20 years. When a Mola is born they are only 2mm long! However, they grow extremely quickly. They have been recorded to gain 364kg in 14 months! Sunfish have a wide diet. They consume everything from squid, eelgrass, crustaceans, fish, sponges, jellyfish, and eels. As they get older they tend to eat more gelatinous zooplankton and jellyfish.

Furthermore, they come in a range of gray and white colors. Some have polka-dotted patterns and sheens. Thus, their coloration can depend on regions. The Sunfish in Bali are usually darker than those in Southern California. Additionally, they are able to change colors when under stress, turning from light to dark.

The reason why our waters are such a great place to spot Sunfish is because of our thermoclines. That is when warm water suddenly shifts to much colder water. The warm water layers itself on top of the cold water without mixing. The cold swells come from seasonal upwelling from the Indian Ocean. That means that water temperatures can dip to as low as 16 Celcius! However, the good thing is that Mola are attracted to this. Time to squeeze into those thick wetsuits!

The Nusa Penida Marine Protected Area is proud to be one of the only places in the world to see these creatures consistently. They reside here year-round, and if you are lucky, you may spot them sunbathing! That is where the term “sunfish” comes from! Nevertheless, they are most often spotted from 20-40m. This means that you should get your Advanced Open Water and Deep Specialty to have the best chance of seeing them.

The best dive site to see Mola is Crystal Bay. There are several cleaning stations here. It is crucial for the Mola to be cleaned as they are very susceptible to parasites. You will likely see fish such as the Longfin bannerfish and Emperor angelfish nibbling at the Sunfish. Moreover, our waters are the only place in the world where you can see Emperor angelfish cleaning the Mola. It is truly unique to see these beautifully patterned fish circle the large sunfish.

All That Makes You Want to Meet Them

Fun Facts About Mola Mola Bali

Surprisingly, Mola-Mola dwell  in many different locations around the world. With this in mind, most of them are too small in size to be seen and therefore undetected. Fortunately for us on Nusa Penida, Mola studies began many years ago, and therefore finding them has become easier.

Smaller than kangaroo babies at birth

One of the most unbelievable truths about Mola is that they aren’t any bigger than a grain of rice at birth. Notably, as Larvae, they are known to measure as little as 0.25cm. Keep in mind that they will grow 60 million times bigger in weight and reach 3 meters in length by adulthood. Source: Gudger (1936) in Pope et al. (2010)

A colossal fish

Mola-Mola boasts the title of heaviest bony fish in the ocean. With that being said, a Mola Alexandrini found in Sydney has set the record with huge overall dimensions. This specific Sunfish measured 3.1 meters from snout tip – tail fin, and 4.26 meters from dorsal – anal fin tip. Absolutely massive. They found this fish in September 1908. Source: Sawai et al. (2018)

Incredibly high reproduction

With this particular record under its belt, the Oceanic Sunfish will surely keep you amazed. Notably, they can produce approximately 300 million eggs at one time. Many years ago, a 1.37 meter female Mola reportedly had this whopping amount of eggs in her ovary. Source: Schmidt (1921)

Conservation & Code of Conduct

How to Dive with Mola Mola in Bali

Legend Diving Penida has created a well-thought-out list of how to safely dive with Mola mola. Of course, we want everyone to enjoy their encounters, however; we need to ensure the safety of the wildlife, too. On that note, the priority is to keep our distance while they are at the cleaning stations. With this in mind, it is vital for the Molas to have regular cleaning of parasites by the cleaner fish. Once they have enjoyed a nice bath, they will usually stick around and put on a show for us.

Learn More

Mola Conduct Guidelines

  • Please Don’t touch anything whilst scuba diving, especially the underwater marine life. In the event that a Mola approaches, stay calm and do not touch!
  • Please be slow and relaxed when approaching a Mola. Keep within their line of vision and never splash the water or enclose them

  • Please do not approach the cleaning station while the Molas are being cleaned. Once the cleaning station is damaged, then the cleaner fish may disappear and therefore the Molas, too.
  • Please keep a distance of at least 3 meters between you and the Mola.
  • If the Mola are not cleaning or are approaching the reef, then please stay at least 10 meters away.
  • Please stay behind your dive guide and do not go any closer than they do.
  • Please do not approach the Mola from behind. This interpreted as predator behavior and they will be frightened.
  • Do not go directly below or above the Mola. This will disturb them. However, if they swim above you please try not to blow many bubbles.
  • Please do not block their escape path, and if they leave, do not chase them.
  • Please do not use any loud underwater gadgets near the Mola. For example, dive propulsion vehicles.
  • Always listen to your dive guide and follow their instructions!
  • Make sure to monitor your buoyancy and take care of the coral reef.

This set of guidelines has been created for a safe and fun time when diving with Molas. You can download it HERE. At the same time, we aim to ensure the health and safety of our resident wildlife. The main goal is for the Molas to be undisturbed at cleaning stations. It is very important for them to be cleaned of parasites at these stations. Once settled, they will remain for long periods of time. This definitely allows for a better dive.
For additional information on how we can protect the reef and better our behavior with underwater marine life, click HERE. The Nusa Penida Marine Protected Area made this video so that we treat our oceans the way they should be.

The Dwellers of the Depth

What Do We Know About Mola Mola Bali

When divers think of Bali and especially Nusa Penida, they will most certainly picture an encounter with a Mola mola. Having said that, we accommodate Scuba Divers who have traveled far and wide in the pursuit of a rare sighting. It truly is an alien-like fish that is so strange that it’s hard to imagine until you see one, yourself. Notably, the Mola mola, dwell in the depths of some of our dive sites.

With this in mind, the best time of year to scout for this mysterious creature is usually from July – August. Be sure to join our Mola mola Bali diving trips in order to tick this one off the list.
The Mola mola Nusa Lembongan belongs to a family called Ocean Sunfish. Contrary to popular belief, the most common sunfish species in our waters is not actually the Mola mola. Rather, you will most likely spot the Mola Alexandrini, also known as the Bumphead sunfish. However, it is possible to see other species of sunfish. Mola mola, also known as the Common sunfish have been spotted in our waters on several occasions.

They are simply massive fish. In fact, they are the largest bony fish in the world. They can reach over 4m tall, 3m long, and weigh over 2000kg. This is definitely a huge bucket list sighting for divers all around the world. The Sunfish on average have a lifespan of around 20 years. When a Mola is born they are only 2mm long! However, they grow extremely quickly. They have been recorded to gain 364kg in 14 months! Sunfish have a wide diet. They consume everything from squid, eelgrass, crustaceans, fish, sponges, jellyfish, and eels. As they get older, they tend to eat more gelatinous zooplankton and jellyfish.

Furthermore, they come in a range of gray and white colors. Some have polka-dotted patterns and sheens. Thus, their coloration can depend on regions. The Sunfish in Bali are usually darker than those in Southern California. Additionally, they are able to change colors when under stress, turning from light to dark.

The reason why our waters are such a great place to spot Sunfish is because of our thermoclines. That is when warm water suddenly shifts to much colder water. The warm water layers itself on top of the cold water without mixing. The cold swells come from seasonal upwelling from the Indian Ocean. That means that water temperatures can dip to as low as 16 Celcius! However, the good thing is that Mola are attracted to this. Time to squeeze into those thick wetsuits!

The Nusa Penida Marine Protected Area is proud to be one of the only places in the world to see these creatures consistently. They reside here year-round, and if you are lucky, you may spot them sunbathing! That is where the term “sunfish” comes from! Nevertheless, they are most often spotted from 20-40m. This means that you should get your Advanced Open Water and Deep Specialty to have the best chance of seeing them.

The best dive site to see Mola is Crystal Bay. There are several cleaning stations here. It is crucial for the Mola to be cleaned as they are very susceptible to parasites. You will likely see fish such as the Longfin bannerfish and Emperor angelfish nibbling at the Sunfish. Moreover, our waters are the only place in the world where you can see Emperor angelfish cleaning the Mola. It is truly unique to see these beautifully patterned fish circle the large sunfish.

All That Makes You Want to Meet Them

Fun Facts About Mola Mola Bali

Surprisingly, Mola mola dwell in many different locations around the world. With this in mind, most of them are too small in size to be seen and therefore undetected. Fortunately for us on Nusa Penida, Mola studies began many years ago, and therefore finding them has become easier.

Smaller than kangaroo babies at birth

One of the most unbelievable truths about Mola is that they aren’t any bigger than a grain of rice at birth. Notably, as Larvae, they are known to measure as little as 0.25cm. Keep in mind that they will grow 60 million times bigger in weight and reach 3 meters in length by adulthood. Source: Gudger (1936) in Pope et al. (2010)

A colossal fish

Mola mola boasts the title of heaviest bony fish in the ocean. With that being said, a Mola alexandrini found in Sydney has set the record with huge overall dimensions. This specific Sunfish measured 3.1 meters from snout tip – tail fin, and 4.26 meters from dorsal – anal fin tip. Absolutely massive. They found this fish in September 1908. Source: Sawai et al. (2018)

Incredibly high reproduction

With this particular record under its belt, the Oceanic Sunfish will surely keep you amazed. Notably, they can produce approximately 300 million eggs at one time. Many years ago, a 1.37 meter female Mola reportedly had this whopping amount of eggs in her ovary. Source: Schmidt (1921)

Conservation & Code of Conduct

How to dive with Mola Mola in Bali

Legend Diving Penida has created a well-thought-out list of how to safely dive with Mola mola. Of course, we want everyone to enjoy their encounters, however; we need to ensure the safety of the wildlife, too. On that note, the priority is to keep our distance while they are at the cleaning stations. With this in mind, it is vital for the Molas to have regular cleaning of parasites by the cleaner fish. Once they have enjoyed a nice bath, they will usually stick around and put on a show for us.

Learn More

Mola Conduct Guidelines

  • Please Don’t touch anything whilst scuba diving, especially the underwater marine life. In the event that a Mola approaches, stay calm and do not touch!
  • Please be slow and relaxed when approaching a Mola. Keep within their line of vision and never splash the water or enclose them

  • Please do not approach the cleaning station while the Molas are being cleaned. Once the cleaning station is damaged, then the cleaner fish may disappear and therefore the Molas, too.
  • Please keep a distance of at least 3 meters between you and the Mola.
  • If the Mola are not cleaning or are approaching the reef, then please stay at least 10 meters away.
  • Please stay behind your dive guide and do not go any closer than they do.
  • Please do not approach the Mola from behind. This interpreted as predator behavior and they will be frightened.
  • Do not go directly below or above the Mola. This will disturb them. However, if they swim above you please try not to blow many bubbles.
  • Please do not block their escape path, and if they leave, do not chase them.
  • Please do not use any loud underwater gadgets near the Mola. For example, dive propulsion vehicles.
  • Always listen to your dive guide and follow their instructions!
  • Make sure to monitor your buoyancy and take care of the coral reef.

This set of guidelines has been created for a safe and fun time when diving with Molas. You can download it HERE. At the same time, we aim to ensure the health and safety of our resident wildlife. The main goal is for the Molas to be undisturbed at cleaning stations. It is very important for them to be cleaned of parasites at these stations. Once settled, they will remain for long periods of time. This definitely allows for a better dive.
For additional information on how we can protect the reef and better our behavior with underwater marine life, click HERE. The Nusa Penida Marine Protected Area made this video so that we treat our oceans the way they should be.