The ocean sunfish is the strangest-looking large fish in the ocean — a flattened disc with fins that looks more like an alien spacecraft than a vertebrate. Molas can reach three metres tall and over a tonne, yet they are shy and mostly seen at deep cleaning stations where they come up from pelagic waters to be cleaned by banner fish and reef fish. Nusa Penida in Bali (July–October) is the iconic destination, where cold upwelling currents bring molas into recreational depths. São Miguel in the Azores is a second key location. Conditions can be cold and currenty — be ready for a more technical dive than the tropics suggest.
The year at a glance
Global aggregated reliability — at any given month, how reliably can you find this species somewhere in the world?
Where to see them in April
Ocean Sunfish (Mola Mola) is not reported at any destination this month. Check the full season breakdown below.
Full season breakdown
Peak Present Rare