Mola Mola

On Saturday we did another paddle from Big Bay to Melkbos Beach and back. As we were getting ready to turn round and head back, we spotted a rather large fin sticking out of the water a few meters away from us. The shape and movement of the fin indicated that the creature it belonged to was not a seal or a dolphin. With caution we moved a little closer to try and indentify the owner of the large fin. As is usually the case when approaching an unknown creature of the sea, thoughts of breeching sharks ensured our progress to be slow and careful. Then as we neared, the strange and freakish outline of a sunfish became visible through the murky water. They really are strange creatures!

Sunfish(Mola Mola) are quite common along the coast of Southern Africa and are usually seen when the warmer, jellyfish rich currents hug our coasts. Also interesting to note that they are the heaviest bony fish in the world with the average weight of 1000kg. This is easy to imagine when you see that what looks like a rather flat fish is actually not that flat.

The amazing thing is that the sunfish was just as inquisitive about us as we were of him/her.



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