While accustomed to sharing the waves with otters and the occasional shark, this time it was a massive sunfish that captured their attention. The sighting was both thrilling and a little intimidating for those in the water.

Due to how rare it is to see this giant creature, surfers in Santa Cruz were alarmed to see the dorsal fin emerge from the waves.

One photo shows a dorsal fin resembling that of a shark, while another reveals the creature’s unique head and large eye. These images quickly garnered attention on social media, surprising many locals.

Their distinctive appearance includes oversized heads and flat bodies, often described as looking like a child’s drawing of a fish come to life.

The colossal bony fish can easily be mistaken for a shark because their huge dorsal fins similarly emerge above the water. But who hasn’t mistaken a dolphin (or sunfish in this case) for a shark?

She noted its impressive size and confirmed it as a Mola mola, the most common sunfish species in the area. Thys, known affectionately as “Mrs. Sunfish,” has extensive knowledge of these fascinating creatures.

“You can only divorce yourself from your bloodlines so much,” says Thys. “If your grandmother had a big bottom and your mother had a big bottom, you are most likely going to have a big bottom. There is not much you can do!”

She became invested in the mola in the early 1990s when she came across a photo of one while doing graduate work in fish biomechanics at Duke University. While most forms of fish give way to its function, the mola’s form is a mystery.

Historically, Japan holds the fish, known as manbou, in high regard. In the 17th and 18th centuries, the fish was given to shoguns in the form of tax payments.

Increased sightings may be linked to the phasing out of California’s drift gill net fishery, which previously ensnared many sunfish as bycatch. This change has likely allowed more sunfish to thrive.

Their presence is vital for maintaining the balance of marine ecosystems, particularly in nutrient-rich areas like Monterey Bay.

Their diet consists mainly of jellyfish, making them harmless to people enjoying the waves.

Mola mola prefer temperate and tropical waters and spend most of their lives submerged. When they do come up to the surface, they are often on their sides, using the sun’s heat to recharge themselves before going back under to feed.

During these months, sunfish are most frequently seen off the California coast. Monterey Bay, with its nutrient upwelling and submarine canyon, is a prime location for observing these fascinating creatures.

While adults are too large to be threatened by any animals other than the largest potential predators, the medium-sized Mola mola are eaten by sea lions, killer whales, and large sharks. California sea lions often bite the fins off smaller Mola mola and play with them like frisbees, according to Oceana.

This protected area supports a wide range of marine life, from playful otters to majestic sunfish. The sanctuary’s rich ecosystem is a treasure for both scientists and nature enthusiasts.

For longtime residents and newcomers alike, the sighting was a reminder of the diverse and surprising marine life just off their shores.

The fish is difficult for scavengers to take as a meal since the tough skin of the fish is incredibly hard to puncture through.

Nyegaard has researched the variety of sunfish, known as Mola tecta (“tecta” in Latin means hidden or disguised), since 2017. Her research discovered that there were varieties of sunfish like the Mola tecta.

The ocean sunfish and bump-head sunfish can be found across the world in temperate and tropical oceans, but the hoodwinker sunfish was thought to only be in the southern hemisphere.

Her insights highlight the significance of these creatures beyond their unusual appearance.

Since then, a few more sunfish have washed ashore in California and Alaska, challenging the theory that the fish only lives in the southern hemisphere.

The presence of the Mola mola is a prime example of the rich marine life that thrives in these waters, offering endless opportunities for discovery.

“Nearly every day I have people reporting,” says Thys. Molas have been seen north of the Arctic Circle and as far south as Chile and Australia. “I just got a report from Mozambique,” she says. “I would love to go to Mozambique.”