Mola Tecta

Mola Mola have been seen from time to time in Sharm but they are very rare here, and when they have been seen, it's usually a fleeting glance from the boat as we pass them in the water and then they dive deep straight away.

This time was an exception, not only one, not even two, but THREE Mola Tectra, (very close family to Mola Mola - Sun Fish) and they weren't in a rush to flee, giving our divers a ring side seat as the three cartoon like characters swam in formation around and past them, in no hurry whatsoever.

Let's hope they will pay us a visit on a regular basis.

For the photo, a big THANK YOU goes to Andrej Hajdinjak who dives with us about three times per year. As they say, You got to be in it to win it. Well done Andrej

​10 very interesting facts about Sunfish
1. Mola mola is actually the scientific name of the ocean sunfish. Along with three other family members, its closest relatives are the puffer and triggerfishes.
2. The largest ocean sunfish weighed 2.5 tons — which is comparable to an SUV — and the fish is considered the heaviest of the world’s bony fishes.
3. Despite lacking a tail, the ocean sunfish uses its modified dorsal and anal fins for powerful and agile propulsion.
4. The sunfish may sunbathe to regulate its body temp. After making deep dives in cold water, its time spent lazing at the surface is extended.
5. They lack a swim bladder — a fish’s version of a buoyancy compensator — but it has a layer of subcutaneous jelly that keeps it neutrally buoyant in seawater.
6. The sunfish has just 16 vertebrae, the fewest of any fish. Humans, in comparison, have 33.
7. Bycatch is considered the gravest threat to the ocean sunfish. In a South African fishery, an estimated 340,000 mola were caught in a single year.
8. The sunfish is prone to infestation by parasites, harboring some 54 species. It co-opts seabirds and other fishes, and sometimes even breaches to help rid itself of these pests.
9. The fish is one of the most prolific of all vertebrates: one female can produce an estimated 300 million tiny eggs per clutch.
10. The sunfish can make dives up to 490 meter deep, and one tagged individual traveled 1,800 km in three months.

Thanks for the video Andrej Hajdinjak.