the magnificent Oceanic Sunfish or Mola Mola
photographed in Crystal Bay (Nusa Penida) by OK Divers
Bali, one of the world's most underrated dive destinations, has an astonishingly rich underwater life as the island is ideally positioned between two oceans, the Indian and the Pacific. As a result an enormous flow of water passes Bali, depositing planktonic larvae that results in a very high diversity of species.
Nusa Penida is an island located 28 km east of Benoa/Sanur, adjoining the smaller sister islands Nusa Lembongan and Nusa Ceningan. In the Indian Ocean on the far side of Nusa Penida lies the Wallace Line, a trench of 1,3 km deep that separates Western Indonesia from the different flora, fauna and wildlife of Austronesia. At barrier island Nusa Penida the ocean currents coming North cause strong upwellings of cold water, bringing with it large fish such as sharks, mantas, trevally and especially a rather rare animal to see, the Oceanic Sunfish, or Mola Mola.
Crystal Bay, situated in the Penida Strait running between Nusa Penida and Nusa Ceningan, is one of the few places in the world where the awesome mola mola can be sighted. One can be reasonably sure of a sighting during the season if two or three days of diving are allowed. And for sure, diving with the Sunfish is an experience that you will never forget.
The mola mola can reach a length of 3 metres and a weight of over 2,000 kg. They are usually found in deep and cold oceanic waters but occasionally they come inshore, in Bali between July and September.
For world class diving in Bali, contact:
OK Divers
Radka Malec
+62(0)8174735615
radka@divingbali.cz
English, Czech, Bahasa Indonesia, other languages on request
Habitat H20
Bea Goldschmidt
+62(0)8123638529
divebalibea@gmail.com
www.dive-bali.de
German, English, other languages on request
Paradise Diving Indonesia
Michael Wiedenmannoot
+62(0)811393515
Specializes in German tours, other languages on request
