Besides the beautiful beach, Bali is also known as a good spot to dive with the amazing sea creatures. Diving in Bali won’t be complete when you have not seen Mola Mola with your own eyes. Mola Mola diving Bali is one of the most searched dive trips among divers around the world.
Mola Mola or Sunfish is one of the biggest bony fishes in the world and has a unique flat body. Known as Mola Mola, this big guy name is actually Mola Ramsayi. Swimming awkwardly like a hovering submarine, Mola can get as heavy as 1000kg. The normal size for Mola is around 1.8M long and 2.5M tall. Isn’t it enormous? They are big yet harmless and shy mammals. So, it is better for you to not make noises when approaching this big guy, keep calm and carry on. Also, make sure you don’t dive in a big group of people or you might scare them.
One of the most predictable appearances of Mola Ramsayi that you can find is located in Bali, specifically in Nusa Penida Island. It is easy to access Nusa Penida, you can ride a fast boat from Sanur, Tanjung Benoa or Nusa Dua.
Bali Diving Mola Mola Season
Mola can be found in tropical and temperate waters. They generally live and follow everywhere the cold wave is. In Nusa Penida, Bali, it will be easier to find for Mola around mid-July to early November, as the cold wave from the South Pole brings lots of plankton and nutrition for Mola. That’s why, around that time of the year, they will show themselves from their hiding place into 18-40M depth. Generally, you can see 2-5 of them but when you are being really lucky, you can even see 20 Molas (Yes, no hoax!). Isn’t that cool?
On your diving trip, you might also see Mola having a sunbath, laying their flat body in the sun to warm themselves. One of the reasons is to prepare them for later swimming in a deeper and colder ocean. The other reason is that they want seagulls to come and peck worms off their body. The young Mola sometimes can be seen flying out of the water and splashing their body into the ocean in order to wash the worms off their body.
What To Prepare
Around the Mola season, the water might be cold and might experience thermoclines to 12 degrees Celsius (or 53 degrees Fahrenheit). So, prepare for the cold water and wear a long suit with a hood, typically a 5mm one. You might not notice how deep you dive as you are eagerly finding this big guy, a dive computer may be needed to keep you aware. Also, as the current might be strong, an advanced diver with a guide is a must. Capturing the moment of this unique mammal, it is better not to use strobe light as it will make them run away (remember they are shy mammals).
The Crisis of Mola Mola
Mola consumes small fishes, fish larvae, squid, and jellyfish as their food. They can mistake plastic bags that are thrown into the ocean as jellyfish. Of course, if they eat the plastic bags that are mistaken as jellyfish, it is not a good sign and will eventually make them die. So, one of the simple ways to protect Mola is to throw away your trash at the place where it should be.
If you would like to explore Bali and meet in person with Mola Mola, you can easily contact us and our experienced staff will serve you with the best service.