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Here's a sight I hope we don't see again soon...its a mola mola, or ocean sunfish. They are found worldwide in tropical and semi-tropical areas and sometimes arrive off Oregon during severe el Nino years...apparently they ride warm ocean currents northward. Their natural diet is 100% jellyfish, they are all head with developed pectoral fins, only, and a stubby tail. They reach weights of up to 5000 lbs. but the ones we saw were 25 to 1000 with a couple monsters that had to be over 1000 lbs :shocked: .
This pic was taken in August in the mid-1990s at the mouth of the Umpqua...that's the south jetty in background. The tide was incoming that day and there was a steady parade of these weird fish, most awash at or near the surface, apparently immobilized by the cooler water...pectoral fins flapping listlessly. Seagulls landed on some and were pecking out their eyes...seals were having fun with others biting off their fins...one was so big that when running out to the jetty tip I planed the boat right over it and a foot or more of the fish stuck out past either side of my 7' wide boat. This one weighed a good 40-50 pounds. They are reportedly inedible, being composed of mostly head & gristle. We released this mola mola.
I think they are rare during non-el Nino years when the ocean is "good" for salmon...and when they are around, the ocean isn't so good for salmon.
[ 07-22-2003, 09:27 PM: Message edited by: GutshotApe ]
This pic was taken in August in the mid-1990s at the mouth of the Umpqua...that's the south jetty in background. The tide was incoming that day and there was a steady parade of these weird fish, most awash at or near the surface, apparently immobilized by the cooler water...pectoral fins flapping listlessly. Seagulls landed on some and were pecking out their eyes...seals were having fun with others biting off their fins...one was so big that when running out to the jetty tip I planed the boat right over it and a foot or more of the fish stuck out past either side of my 7' wide boat. This one weighed a good 40-50 pounds. They are reportedly inedible, being composed of mostly head & gristle. We released this mola mola.
I think they are rare during non-el Nino years when the ocean is "good" for salmon...and when they are around, the ocean isn't so good for salmon.

[ 07-22-2003, 09:27 PM: Message edited by: GutshotApe ]