Holy MOLA!

A Mola mola (Sunfish) visited the marina today! Chad noticed it when taking a shower. He looked out the port window and...as surreal as it was...there was a juvenile sunfish swimming by the boat! We watched it lazily swim around before running to grab our cameras. Naturally, with camera in-hand and at-the-ready, the Mola mola disappeared into the green marina gloom. This is the best (and pathetic) shot I got:

This is about the size of our curious visitor:

http://www.mumm.ac.be/EN/Management/Nature/strandings_list.php

 It might have been bigger but, in the water, it's difficult to judge size and distance. This is a great example of how LARGE Mola molas grow....probably even larger than in this picture, too!

Copyright Teresa Zubi

I love Mola molas! They're pretty rare, very gentile, and weird! They are the heaviest bony fish and almost exclusively feed on jelly fish. A delicacy in Asia, East Asia and Japan, their numbers are in decline. Since they prefer tropical and warm water, it's doubtful that our visiting sunfish will survive much longer. It probably surfed the Gulf stream to the warm, shallow cape waters, and strong tidal currents in Buzzards Bay funneled it into our location.

I have immense respect for wildlife photographers and am very thankful it's not my profession! I love our new swimming friend and hope it stays with us for one more day! Some people have deer and coyotes visit their yards. We have Mola molas!