Ocean Sunfish

Photo: Randy Puckett · CC BY-NC

Mola mola arrive at the seamount from July through October, ascending from the deep to feed on jellyfish and be cleaned of parasites by wrasse and other small fish at the seamount pinnacles. Reaching up to 2 tonnes, they are the world's heaviest bony fish and an extraordinary open-ocean encounter for divers willing to brave the swell. Their appearance correlates strongly with jellyfish blooms in the surface water and the upwelling-driven productivity that the seamount concentrates.