Mola mola spotted in Osezaki

[TJO]

Spotted a mola mola this weekend during a trimix experience dive at Sentan, Osezaki. We were decending and at 35m when it came up from depth towards us to check us out. Great experience! It came as close as 5 m from one diver (Kiyo). Going back next weekend with scooters and video to try to find it.

Blog at: http://www.jue.jp/en/node/718

 

[ken chung ar]

hi TJO,

i also want all of the ScubaBoard subscribers to know that mola mola or ocean sunfish is quite often seen in izu. i also saw one in kaiyo-kohen in june a few years ago.

it is a quite elegant creature, just hovering in water. in deep blue they showed the fish may swim holding its body in parallel to the surface of sea, but i have not seen it.

ken chung ar

 

[iflylow]

Wow! That would be quite a sight to see! Congrats!

 

[TJO]

Yeah. It is a rare sight here. Your chances to see one increases if you join us diving here Eric!

We are planning to conduct a Tech 1 again this coming autumn...

 

[iflylow]

Yeah. It is a rare sight here. Your chances to see one increases if you join us diving here Eric!

We are planning to conduct a Tech 1 again this coming autumn...

I'll keep that in mind. I do want to do Tech 1 either this fall or next spring... I think we are going to try to get a course here in Okinawa though. If that falls through, I will definitely try to get up there. When will it go? Who is going to teach it?

I would need a dry suit up there wouldn't I???

 

[TJO]

I hope to get Gideon and perhaps also Richard L here. Of course drysuit. Can you do Tech 1 in wet?

 

[iflylow]

Let's talk price...

What will the course cost and how much to stay in the area for the 5 or 6 days? I don't need to live like a king, but prefer not to live like a caveman either. 16 years in the Marine Corps has gotten me used to living in "less than ideal conditions" (i.e. in a mudhole somewhere in the rain) but I prefer not to unless required!

Do you have dry suits to rent? What about the tanks? I've got all the tanks I need down here in Okinawa but it would cost a small fortune to send everything up there.

 

[Henryville]

I hope to get Gideon and perhaps also Richard L here. Of course drysuit. Can you do Tech 1 in wet?

FWIW, Thomas, in preparing for my tech 1 in Ft. Lauderdale I was surprised to be told "wetsuit and aluminum doubles."

 

[TJO]

iflylow.. Sorry. Didn't see your interest. Accommodation is about 8000 (incl dinner/breakfast). We have more than enough of tanks here (10 sets of doubles and deco tanks). I haven't made a calculation but I guess it will cost close to 250,000 yen including everything - well except for the flight to Tokyo. But you can fly yourself right we need to cover all cost for the instructor and trimix is pretty expensive here... It will probably be cheaper for you to do it somewhere else. Many of us here do not have that many days of vacation... We stopped renting out DUI drysuits. I may be able to arrange it depending on size though.

Ohh. The mola mola is still here in Osezaki. We are going out next weekend again to look for it. Usually they stay for some time and this one as been there for 3 weeks now with several spottings.

 

[iflylow]

iflylow.. Sorry. Didn't see your interest. Accommodation is about 8000 (incl dinner/breakfast). We have more than enough of tanks here (10 sets of doubles and deco tanks). I haven't made a calculation but I guess it will cost close to 250,000 yen including everything - well except for the flight to Tokyo. But you can fly yourself right we need to cover all cost for the instructor and trimix is pretty expensive here... It will probably be cheaper for you to do it somewhere else. Many of us here do not have that many days of vacation... We stopped renting out DUI drysuits. I may be able to arrange it depending on size though.

Ohh. The mola mola is still here in Osezaki. We are going out next weekend again to look for it. Usually they stay for some time and this one as been there for 3 weeks now with several spottings.

OUCH! I'll have to wait until we get enough interest to bring an instructor here to Okinawa... Thanks for the info, though!