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.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
Related: Diver Absolutely ‘Dwarfed’ by Massive Ocean Sunfish in Jaw-Dropping Video<\/strong><\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n