mola at the canal
 

Went down for a few hours yesterday afternoon with my son to kill a few hours. On the east end, I saw a massive splash and thought it was a big bass, then next thing you know, a huge fin and body and roll and a massive fish rolls in a huge wave. My jaw just dropped, I thought it was a mola or a great white, asked a few guys fishing and they said it was a mola. Never saw one before, mindblowing. I was glad my son saw it too.

What's a MOLA?

ocean sunfish

Yah i saw that big guy as well. I thought it was tuna at first.

I have seen more this year than any other year. They are pretty cool!

Mola Mola

You see several every year , especialy at the east end. The once in a lifetime site for me at the canal was the Giant Bluefin Tuna going completely airborn right in front of me and Smokey. I have never seen anything like it and probably never will again. The thing was the size of a Volkswagon and it was totally airborn clean out of the water.Imaging the power needed to do that.

MOLA
 

I've seen them several times in the canal. Once to the right of the Cape side east end to the right of the jetty in 3 feet of water. Amazing how shallow they will swim. I think they eat crill and plankton.

They eat jellyfish, and since we get alarge amount every year (think about the "fire in the water" which is caused by plankton inside small jellyfish) and it's no wonder they are seen every year.

You have to wonder how many of the giants make it through the canal. Do whales go through the canal?

The giants get all of the bait penned up at the mouth of the canal in the fall.

I didnt see a tuna break, due to darkness but I heard the equivalent of a large object slamming into the water...wondered what the hell it was. What a sound, violent explosion.

I saw a pilot whale last year in the canal and about 10 or so years ago i saw what i was told was a Right whale. It was about 50' long and scared the crap out of me when it blew its hole maybe 50 yards away.

I have never seen a whale in the Canal. i have of course seen several sharks. In fact quite a few each year.

The fish Im most interesting in seeing is a striped bass, say 40lbs or so and on the side of the canal at the end of my line. :)

If I see a Mola in the canal tonight, I'm gonna yell "HOLY MOLA!" at the top of my lungs. Then, I'm gonna throw a bag of dog poop at the next person who drives by too fast on their canal bike.

FB LOL make sure you got good aim

You see more sharks at the canal than 40 pound stripers ! :(