Photos of purple jellyfish and dead baby Mola Mola

[fnfalman]

There's a tear in the jellyfish, and the dead baby Mola Mola is missing both the dorsal & ventral fins.

So sad.

 

[drbill]

Not an unusual thing to see... sea lions love to nip the fins off of Mola mola.

 

[USCScubaboy]

Hey Dr. Bill,

Do you know why the sea lions prefer the fins as opposed to the entire animal?

 

[fnfalman]

Not an unusual thing to see... sea lions love to nip the fins off of Mola mola.

Mother Nature is neither kind nor cruel. She is what she is. Still sad though. I really wanted to see a Mola Mola, just not this way.

 

[drbill]

I think it is simply a form of "play" for them just as a cat will toy with a mouse.

HT... certainly agree that it is sad.

 

[drbill]

HT... do you think your friend who took the picture of you and the Mola would let me use it in my newspaper column next week?

Three dead Molas in the dive park yesterday. I wasn't geared up, but one of the divers brought one up for me to inspect and film. As I suspected all fins were gone and the eyes pecked out by seabirds. To further substantiate my belief that the sea lions are responsible, as I was preparing to leave I observed a sea lion playing with the third Mola (not seen earlier) but couldn't film it.

 

[DwayneJ]

Same thing is happening on the backside of the Island. Leaving two harbors last Sunday after anchoring in the mud at the back of the harbor, we saw two dead Mola Mola with fins missing floating on the water at the harbor entrance.

Dwayne

 

[fnfalman]

HT... do you think your friend who took the picture of you and the Mola would let me use it in my newspaper column next week?

Dr. Bill, he doesn't have any problem with it, although as you can see, it's a low resolution photo.

 

[drbill]

Thanks HT... low res is fine for the article. Would he like a photo credit?

 

[MaxBottomtime]

Most of the six dead molas we saw at Ship Rock were all missing their eyes as well. I don't know if they would have floated at the surface long without fins or if other fish ate them.