Holy Mola Mola: Giant Ocean Sunfish Spotted Near Salem

The migratory Mola mola is not a native Header but it sure has one.

The accompanying video shows a Mola mola, commonly called an ocean sunfish, soaking rays on the surface in waters off Brown's Island by Marblehead on Wednesday.

A paddleboarder nearby gives an indication of how big these jelly-fish-eating machines can grow. They like squid, too.


Tony Lacasse of the New England Aquarium tells us that we have had a lot of Mola mola off New England this summer. They are migrants to the Gulf of Maine during the warm weather months.

Tony said they are a truly, bizarre Franken-fish with their giant head.

"They look their body was cut off behind their head," he said.

An average mature sunfish grows to about 2,200 pounds, 6 feet long and 8 feet tall from fin to fin.

They are docile creatures. It is unknown how long they live in the wild but in captivity their life span stretches about 10 years.

They have few predators to worry about though they are eaten by humans in some locations, according to Wikipedia.

Shark and sea lions can make a meal out of them, too.

They are said to spend a lot of their time in deeper waters but surface and lay on their sides to soak in warmth.