The Monterey Bay Aquarium is more than a place to look at cool fish and marine life. It’s a nonprofit public aquarium that aims to inspire ocean conservation and amazement in visitors of all ages. Best of all, it provides rescue, rehabilitation, and even a permanent home for ocean animals who may not survive in the wild.
Because of its role in animal rescue and rehab, many of the aquarium’s most exciting residents are only there temporarily. This is why visitors have been flocking to Monterey ever since the California aquarium announced the addition of a brand new resident! This massive fish is one of the ocean’s strangest creatures, and it’s now available to visit on a temporary basis.
Meet the mola mola! These odd fish are also known as ocean sunfish because of the way they ‘sunbathe’ at the surface of the water, but they’re normally found below the surface in tropical and temperate climates. Even so, many people never get to see these strange animals with their own eyes.
Related: Diver Absolutely ‘Dwarfed’ by Massive Ocean Sunfish in Jaw-Dropping Video
I have been lucky enough to see ocean sunfish several times at the Monterey Bay Aquarium. The first time I saw one as a child, I was obsessed! These fish don’t look like they should be able to swim, let alone thrive, in the vast ocean, but they somehow always find a way. I was also lucky enough to see the aquarium’s newest resident for myself the day after this video was posted, though the fish was very shy and didn’t come too close to the glass.
Ocean Sunfish at Monterey Bay AquariumImage via Gabrielle LaFrank
(Image via Gabrielle LaFrank)
It was heartwarming to know I wasn’t the only person fangirling over this special animal. Another person commented, “I went to your aquarium when I was a teen and was completely mesmerized by them! I sat on the stairs and watched them for like well over an hour. You had, I think, 3 or 4 of them at the time.”
It’s hard to forget such a memorable fish! The mola mola may not be as well-known as sharks, dolphins, or even angler fish, but they make an impact on those who notice them. They even make an appearance in the Animal Crossing video games alongside a cheesy joke: “I caught an ocean sunfish! Good thing I’m wearing ocean sunscreen!”
Sunfish Facts
The Monterey Bay Aquarium’s informational video about their newest resident was chock-full of interesting facts, but it only scratched the surface of sunfish knowledge. Did you know that the mola mola is the largest bony fish in the entire ocean? With a weight up to 5000 pounds and a size over 10 feet long, these sea pancakes can grow to behemoth sizes.
If you’re hoping to see a record-breaking mola mola in Monterey, however, you might be disappointed. Not only do the sunfish off the coast of California only grow to around 1000 pounds, but they’re also returned to the sea when they grow to a certain size. One commenter learned this at their recent trip to the aquarium when a staff member explained that a recent sunfish resident “got airlifted out.”
That gives a whole new meaning to ‘flying fish!’ These bizarre critters couldn’t be more fascinating, so be sure to visit them at the Monterey Bay Aquarium while you still can!
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This story was originally published by PetHelpful on Apr 9, 2026, where it first appeared in the Pet News section. Add PetHelpful as a Preferred Source by clicking here.