Mola Mola in Bali are most commonly seen around Nusa Penida, one of the best places in the world to encounter this rare and fascinating fish. Also known as the ocean sunfish, Mola Mola can reach over 3 meters in length and weigh more than 2 tons.
I first encountered a Mola Mola in Nusa Penida in 2017, and since then, I’ve seen dozens while diving across the island. Each sighting remains unforgettable — whether it’s a massive silhouette emerging from the deep or a sudden encounter in the blue.
👉 In this guide, you’ll learn when to see Mola Mola in Bali, where to dive, and how to maximize your chances of spotting one.
The best place to see ocean fish in Bali is Nusa Penida, especially between July and October during the upwelling season. Sightings are not guaranteed, but conditions during this period offer the highest chances.
Mola Mola in Bali — key facts
- 📍 Best location: Nusa Penida (Crystal Bay & nearby sites)
- 📅 Season: July to October
- 🤿 Activity: diving only
- ⭐ Success rate: low to moderate (guide-dependent)
- 📏 Depth: usually 20–40 meters
👉 Planning your trip? Read our complete Nusa Penida travel guide
What is the Mola Mola ?
The Mola Mola is the largest bony fish in the world and one of the most unusual marine animals you can encounter while diving in Bali. It has a distinct round, flattened body, often compared to a giant floating head, with no real tail and long dorsal and anal fins that propel it slowly through the water.
Although found in oceans worldwide, the Mola Mola is especially famous in Nusa Penida, Bali, where divers come from around the world to try to encounter this rare deep-water species.
How big can a sunfish get ?
The Mola Mola is one of the largest bony fishes in the world. In fact, it can reach an impressive length of over 3 meters and weigh up to 2 tons. It also has the characteristic of growing throughout its life. It measures only a few millimeters as a larva. Juvenile sunfish measure about 60 centimeters in length. They grow rapidly and reach their adult size in just a few years.
What does a sunfish look like?
The sunfish has a distinctive, easily recognizable appearance thanks to its round, flattened body. Its skin is thick and often dotted with spots. The color of its skin varies from silver-gray to dark brown, often with golden or silvery highlights. The dorsal and anal fins are short and very far apart, giving the impression that the sunfish has no tail.
Its shape and appearance as a prehistoric animal are striking and unforgettable, especially when you encounter a sunfish weighing over a ton in the waters off Nusa Penida!
Where to find the Mola Mola in the world?
The sunfish is found in temperate and tropical waters of the Indian Ocean, Pacific Ocean, and Atlantic Ocean. However, the sunfish is known for its particularly abundant presence around the island of Bali in Indonesia, and more specifically around the neighboring island of Nusa Penida.
It is a pelagic fish. It primarily inhabits depths of up to 600 meters. However, during July to October, one can regularly observe the sunfish close to the surface in Bali. Researchers have confirmed that it follows the seasonal upswings of cold water, which brings with it nutrients – a phenomenon known as upwelling.
Mola Mola or sunfish ?
Its name comes from the Latin mola which designates a millstone, a large round stone, flat and gray. Like, for example, the wheel of the old water mills. Its round shape would also have inspired its English name (sunfish). But also in Italian (pesce luna), in Spanish (pez luna), in Portuguese (peixe lua), in German (mondfisch), or in French (poisson lune).
What do Mola Mola eat ?
Sunfish eat mainly jellyfish, but also zooplankton, squid, and small crustaceans. Since this diet is low in nutrients, it must be consumed in large amounts. A 120-kilo sunfish should thus ingest 70 kilos of jellyfish every day to cover its calorie needs!
Due to its diet, the sunfish is considered an important link in the marine food chain, helping to control jellyfish and other marine animal populations. Scientists have also studied the sunfish’s immune system, which allows it to efficiently digest toxins in jellyfish, in order to develop treatments for jellyfish stings in humans.
The parasites of the sunfish
More than 40 species of parasites can live on and under the skin of a sunfish. This would also explain its seasonal urge to shallower depths. The cleaning fish, such as bannerfish, help it rid itself of parasites. The sunfish also sometimes exposes its flanks to the surface to allow seabirds to feed on its parasites. We even saw a small one at Tugu jumping over the surface of the water in what would be an extreme attempt to dislodge the parasites from its body.
Is the ocean Mola Mola fish an endangered species?
One of the main threats to the sunfish is overfishing, as its flesh is considered a delicacy in certain cultures. Unsustainable fishing practices can also lead to the accidental capture of sunfish in nets. Fortunately, many countries have implemented regulations to limit the fishing of ocean sunfish.
If you encounter a sunfish, it’s important to remain still and avoid touching it. These fish have a protective mucus layer that can be easily removed by human touch, leaving them vulnerable to infection.
When can you see Mola Mola in Bali ? and where ?
The sunfish season runs from July until October, in conjunction with upwelling. With the right guide, the probability of seing one is close to one in three.
You may meet them at any diving site in Nusa Penida island. But the most famous site is Crystal Bay dive site. The site’s configuration allows approaching the channel between Nusa Penida and Nusa Lembogan while being protected from the current, which can be violent. We usually stand by one of the rocky points of a small island off the bay. It’s called the second corner.
The search for a sunfish is like a quest. And this is where all the talent of your guide will be expressed. A good guide will indeed bring you to the best place to watch it, while staying safe.
If you feel the thermocline and if you see a school of banner fish waiting for something, look in the blue, a sunfish should not be very far away.
How deep should you dive to see a Mola Mola?
To observe a sunfish in Nusa Penida, it is generally recommended to dive to a depth of around 20 to 30 meters. This is why it is recommended to be certified as an Advanced Open Water Diver to maximize your chances of seeing it. It can happen to see them close to the surface. At the beginning of August 2024 I was looking for a Mola at 35 meters deep in Crystal Bay. And I found it by going back to … 5 meters deep. So our other open-water divers, and even those doing a first dive, saw it too!
However, the exact depth at which you can observe a sunfish will depend on many factors, such as the season, water temperature, visibility and the presence of food. We have already seen some close to the surface, and even jumping out of the water! And others much deeper …
Our best dives with Mola Mola
My first encounter
You will probably remember all your life your first Mola Mola ! In my case, it was on September 1st, 2017. I had just returned to Nusa Penida from Paris. After a couple of days looking for one, we matched the perfect conditions at Crystal Bay. I had my GoPro with me, and when I saw the dive instructor going into the blue, I said to myself: Bingo! At 25 meters, my first one.
The show is magical, and time stands still. I have seen many more afterwards!
Sunfishs come in threes
Some time later, we were diving Ped with guests. At the end of the dive, we felt the thermocline. A first sunfish comes to us. The guests are happy. Then, a second, everyone is very excited. But when we saw the third one, everybody was super thrilled. The guide of another group who was next to us made a somersault underwater!
14 Mola Mola fish in Bali
October 8, 2018. There are three of us at Gamat Bay. There is no current, which is quite rare, and the dive instructor has the intuition that it is worth going towards the blue, in the channel. And there …
Let’s hear from Marion :
“During a dive there, we stopped to admire one sunfish, then two, then three, until we realized we were on Sunfish highway, surrounded by fourteen of them! Lucky you want to say? It all depends on the guide! So get your fins! ”
The combo Mola Mola – Manta Ray
September 14, 2023. The previous day, we spotted a whale shark at Manta Point with Dune Penida dive center. So, we really wanted to see it again… We jumped into the water directly to the Manta Point wall. We were diving with Fhon, a friend and dive instructor from Phuket, who had brought her big camera. We saw the first Manta ray, then a second one.
And then, Karl, Dune Penida course director, started making big signs. He had spotted a sunfish. We swam towards him and saw a second one! Fhon took this beautiful photo and only realized afterwards that both sunfish were in her picture. She was so focused that she had only seen one! You can watch my video at the end of this article.
3 sunfish at Sental Dive Site on July 20, 2024
As we descended into the depths, we encountered the thermocline, and the water turned chilly. The sight of numerous bannerfish eagerly waiting to clean the majestic Mola Mola from their parasites pushed us to dive deeper. Our excitement soared when we first spotted a graceful marbled ray gliding by. Moments later, not one, but two magnificent sunfish appeared before our eyes! And just when we thought it couldn’t get any better, a third sunfish joined the spectacle.
These gentle giants were incredibly calm, allowing us to stay at 37 meters deep for a few precious minutes, observing their serene presence. Eventually, they decided to return to the deep blue, leaving us in awe of the experience. Sunfish season runs from July to October, and we’re thrilled to see them frequently now with Dune Penida Dive Center. Don’t miss this chance to witness these incredible creatures up close!
4 sunfish and a Manta Ray
August 31, 2019. Célia, who joined the dive center for the whole of 2019 as an instructor, brings her guests to Manta Point. And there, bingo again : 4 beautiful sunfish with a Manta ray ! Christine and Jean-Philippe, a dive master trainee with Dune dive center, took some awesome photos.
There are other places to see sunfish in Bali
November 13, 2019. We go on a short trip to Gili Tepekong, in front of Padang Bai. It’s a nice boat ride from Toyapakeh in Nusa Penida, where our boat is based. I will long remember the first dive in the morning, which was clearly not a long, calm river. But also the second, with a giant sunfish that followed us for almost the entire time of the dive.
Ready to meet your first Mola Mola ?
Dune Penida diving center will be happy to guide you on the different diving sites of Nusa Penida and Bali. You may see sunfish all year round, but if you want to maximize your chances of meeting one, schedule your trip between July and October. And try to plan several days of diving, because the odds are not 100 %.
Some centers will offer you to dive at Crystal Bay every day until you meet one. But whatever the beauty of the site, you will quickly get tired of the second corner of Crystal Bay. As you may have read above, it is possible to find it at all diving sites in Nusa Penida. It is just a matter of selecting the right dive guide.
The chances are low to meet a sunfish during a discovery dive, because we usually find them below the 12-meter maximum depth for discovery divers.
However, if you are certified, we can take you on a search for a fun dive or a diving safari. It is also quite possible to take advantage of open water, advanced open water, rescue diver, or dive master training to meet the sunfish. As well as all the incredible flora and fauna of Nusa Penida. Some very beautiful dives in perspective, in any case !
Additional resources
If you’re interested in learning more, be sure to check out our additional resource about Bali and our Nusa Penida Travel Guide. You can also dive deeper into the region’s incredible marine life with our dedicated pages on manta rays, sharks, and nudibranchs, all commonly encountered around Bali and Nusa Penida. And if you have any questions about scuba diving in Bali or Indonesia, don’t hesitate to reach out—we love connecting with divers and aspiring divers alike and sharing our passion for these extraordinary underwater worlds.
Nusa Penida Diving Guide
Complete Nusa Penida Diving Guide : best dive sites, manta rays, Mola Mola season, drift dives, conditions, PADI courses and practical travel advice.
Best dive sites in Bali
20 best dive sites in Bali around Nusa Penida, Padang Bai and North Bali : discover manta rays, oceanic sunfish, sharks, drift dives and vibrant coral reefs.
Nusa Penida travel guide
Complete Nusa Penida Travel Guide : how to get there, where to stay, best beaches, temples, viewpoints and practical tips to plan your island adventure.
FAQ – Mola Mola (Ocean Sunfish) in Bali
Where can you see Mola Mola in Bali?
Around Nusa Penida, especially at Crystal Bay and nearby dive sites.
When is Mola Mola season in Bali?
From July to October, during the upwelling season.
Can you see Mola Mola all year round?
Rarely — sightings are mostly seasonal.
How deep do you dive to see Mola Mola?
Usually between 20 and 40 meters.
Is it difficult to see a Mola Mola?
Yes, sightings are not guaranteed and depend on conditions.
Can beginners see Mola Mola?
It’s possible, but advanced divers have better chances.
Is Mola Mola diving dangerous?
Conditions can be challenging due to currents and cold water.
Why do Mola Mola come to Nusa Penida?
To visit cleaning stations during cold upwellings.
What size is a Mola Mola?
Up to 3 meters long and over 2 tons.
Can you snorkel with Mola Mola?
Very rarely — they are usually found deep.
What is the best dive site for Mola Mola?
Crystal Bay is the most famous and reliable site.
What is the success rate?
Often around 10–30% during peak season, depending on water temperature.
Hello, I will be in Bali from Aug 1-8 and would like to see the Mola Mola, please send me the details, I also have Advanced PADI
Hello Sikandar,
I put you in contact with Dune Penida dive center. They will send you all the details for fun diving in Nusa Penida. August is indeed a good season to meet the Mola Mola in Nusa Penida.
Enjoy your dives !
Blaise
Hi i’m visiting Bali from Aug 9 to 12 and would like to do the mola mola dive. could you advise a 2 days diving itinerary for me please? and which area i should be staying? I have Advanced PADI
Hello Zhu Zhen
Dune Penida will send you all the information to book your 2 day dive trip.
I wish you good dives in Nusa Penida and hopefully to meet the Mola Mola ! August is the good season and we started to see Mola Mola early this year so the season should be good !
Blaise