Nusa Penida mola mola or Komodo

[Thrawn7]

Thanks to a super cheap flight deal, I have a trip laid out to Bali in mid October. Basically I have 7 days of diving.

Initially the plan was just Komodo, with either Scuba Junkie or a cheap liveaboard. But considering that it'd be mola mola season in Bali, I'm thinking of either tacking on Nusa Penida to the trip or skip Komodo entirely.

Pretty much the only reason to dive in Bali for me is to see the mola mola, otherwise I'd rather just do Komodo dives.

So what is the best strategy of seeing mola-molas. Do they come and go on a weekly basis, or its more random on a per dive basis... If I spend the whole time diving in Bali and not spot any mola-molas, it'd be a wasted trip. Like do you have more chance seeing mola molas doing 1 week of continuous diving, or do one day of diving per season over 3 seasons.

I'm thinking of doing a 1 day Bali + 6 day Komodo trip. Or 2 + 5. If I don't see mola mola, I go pass Bali fairly regularly anyway so can do an easy sidetrip in the future.

 

[Centrals]

1. No one can guarantee the sighting of the Sun Fish.
2. Highly unlikely that the same operator will go to look for the fish everyday. But you can check the schedule with the various operators.
3. You might see them on your first day/dive then what? Could be too late to move to Labuan Bajo!

 

[Thrawn7]

I'm thinking that if in any given day the chance of seeing mola-mola is 25%, then spending a full week and skipping Komodo may make sense. I'll hop across different shops every day if I have to, but supposedly during mola season other dive sites besides Crystal Bay can see mola, mola anyway.
What would be really annoying is if book a week in Bali, then find out the weather or water conditions are too warm for molas.

But if the chance is 90% for any given day, I'd stay 1 or 2 days.

I was just in Tulamben in late Dec and someone else spotted a mola there

 

[Bali-Freak]

Highly unlikely that the same operator will go to look for the fish everyday.

Most operators do tend to go looking for Mola every day in season because that's what the vast majority of divers want. But of course it varies day to day and operator to operator.

Do they come and go on a weekly basis, or its more random on a per dive basis <snip>Like do you have more chance seeing mola molas doing 1 week of continuous diving, or do one day of diving per season over 3 seasons.

Unfortunately they are largely unpredictable. They may come for a day, a few days, or a couple of weeks, then go AWOL for a day, a few days, or a couple of weeks. You may dive one day and see them on your first dive or dive a week and never see them. The diver who dived 15 minutes before you may see them and you won't, or you may be the lucky one and the diver in the water 15 minutes before the unlucky one.

Bring some luck with you.

You may (or may not) have more chance of seeing them around full moon, dark moon, or slack high tide.

October is often a good time to see them (especially first half of October) because there will be fewer divers in the water than August or September and the winds may have dropped so less rough diving conditions. Hopefully they'll still be around them but God alone knows (and he never tells me).

 

[Adelaar Cruises]

Although not a regular sight in Komodo a Mola-mola was spotted at Manta Alley in Langkoi Bay, South Komodo during October, 2015.

They come around every so often, but you have to look out into the deep, we are usually looking above our heads at the Mantas flying over us.

 

[Thrawn7]

Right now I'm leaning towards 2 days staying in Lembongan for 4 to 6 dives. Then catch the next morning flight to Komodo

 

[Zippsy]

Do what I did and waste money. I was heading to Komodo a few years ago during August so I added on two days of diving in Bali at the end just for the chance to see my first mola mola. I had to prepay for the Bali portion too, so you know what that guarantees.... we had a great experience with a mola mola in Manta Alley in Komodo which turned out much better than the two sightings we later had at Nusa Penida. Make your own luck.

 

[Bali-Freak]

Yea, that sucks Zippsy.

However it's almost guaranteed that if you hadn't already booked that Bali add-on trip you wouldn't have seen the Mola in Komodo, right?

 

[Zippsy]

Yea, that sucks Zippsy.

However it's almost guaranteed that if you hadn't already booked that Bali add-on trip you wouldn't have seen the Mola in Komodo, right?

I'm 100% certain of that.

 

[frogfish]

Do what I did and waste money. I was heading to Komodo a few years ago during August so I added on two days of diving in Bali at the end just for the chance to see my first mola mola. I had to prepay for the Bali portion too, so you know what that guarantees.... we had a great experience with a mola mola in Manta Alley in Komodo which turned out much better than the two sightings we later had at Nusa Penida. Make your own luck.

I recall the mola at manta alley with you, with the mantas showing up afterwards... great dive