08/23/2026
My day job consists of a lot of desk time. But, every once in a while, I get out on the water in a way that makes all those hours in front of a laptop so worth it. The agency I work for funds incredibly cool telemetry research (meaning research involving tagging migratory species to understand their behavior), and I joined a trip to do just that this past week.
This is me with an ocean sunfish (Mola mola) in 200 ft of water offshore Massachusetts. These fish are some of the heaviest bony fish in the world, weighing up to 3,000 lbs. Their close relatives, Mola alexandrini weigh up to 5,000 lbs.
Mola are often seen sunbathing at the ocean’s surface, warming up from deep dives and, as I learned on this trip, begging other critters to scratch the parasites off of their bodies. This surface-dwelling, friendly disposition makes them easier for scientists to tag from the water, rather than from a large boat. So, when the crew said they were getting in the water with this fish, I couldn’t *not* go say hi.
I also learned that Mola are only with us in the Gulf of Maine from around June-October. In the fall, they head south (e.g. to the Gulf of Mexico). They are listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, and populations are decreasing due to high bycatch rates, boat strikes, and pollution.
Swipe for more Mola, Mola parasites that hitched a ride on us back to the boat, smaller fish, and sleeping whales.
