Dive with
Best places to dive with Ocean sunfish (mola)
Mola spp.
A massive, disc-shaped sunfish that hangs in the blue and visits cleaning stations at cold sites. In the Galápagos, Punta Vicente Roca on northwest Isabela is the reliable spot, especially when cold upwelling is strongest.
Destinations ranked by how reliably ocean sunfish (mola) is seen. The bars show the likelihood by month — never a guarantee. See the full species page for more.
| Month | Likelihood |
|---|---|
| January | rare |
| February | rare |
| March | rare |
| April | rare |
| May | rare |
| June | occasional |
| July | peak season |
| August | peak season |
| September | peak season |
| October | peak season |
| November | occasional |
| December | rare |
The Mola. Drawn up by cold upwelling at Crystal Bay and Blue Corner roughly July-November, peaking August-September; sightings are seasonal and never guaranteed, and the water is cold when they appear.
| Month | Likelihood |
|---|---|
| January | occasional |
| February | occasional |
| March | occasional |
| April | occasional |
| May | occasional |
| June | peak season |
| July | peak season |
| August | peak season |
| September | peak season |
| October | peak season |
| November | occasional |
| December | occasional |
Best in the cool season (June–October) when cold upwelling is strongest; Punta Vicente Roca is the reliable site.
| Month | Likelihood |
|---|---|
| January | rare |
| February | rare |
| March | rare |
| April | rare |
| May | rare |
| June | occasional |
| July | occasional |
| August | occasional |
| September | occasional |
| October | occasional |
| November | occasional |
| December | rare |
Mola ride the cold upwelling up into diveable depths at sites like The Refrigerator and Halerman, mainly in the September-November pelagic season and around the cooler upwelling months; encounters are a chance, not a given.
| Month | Likelihood |
|---|---|
| January | occasional |
| February | occasional |
| March | occasional |
| April | occasional |
| May | occasional |
| June | occasional |
| July | occasional |
| August | occasional |
| September | occasional |
| October | occasional |
| November | occasional |
| December | occasional |
Mola pass through in summer, often near the surface over deep water; sightings are luck-of-the-day.