Shark Attack

Posted on July 12, 2024July 14, 2024 by Annabel Thomas

Shark Diving in Indonesia

Looking for some shark-y Indonesia diving? AMD-B ‘Beyond Bali’ Dive Travel Consultants would be delighted to put together the best possible arrangements to enable you to visit one – or all! – of the below Indonesian dive destinations! You can contact them on Tours@AquaMarineDiving.com.

Komodo, Raja Ampat, and Bali

Catsharks in Komodo: Night-diving will increase your chances of encountering them as they’re nocturnal hunters.

Carpet aka Wobbegong sharks: There are multiple Raja Ampat dive sites where you can encounter Wobbegongs. You’ll see them lying on the bottom (including in caves) – hence the name ‘carpet’ – and are pretty cool with ambushing their prey. Also expect to see Grey and Black-tip reef sharks.

Reef sharks at Mimpang/Tepekong, Bali: You can see them out in the open, and sleeping in caves and under table corals. They’re very timid so please don’t harass them.

West Papua, South Lombok, and Alor

Whalesharks in Cendrawasih Bay & Triton Bay, West Papua: You can visit either location whether you’re on a liveaboard or on a Day Trip from a resort. At most dive destinations, Whaleshark sightings are considered rare however these Whalesharks appear to be resident. However, you do need to know where and when to visit.

Hammerhead sharks at ‘The Magnet’, South Lombok: You’ll need gloves and a reef hook! Hammerhead season here is July to October; the currents can be VERY challenging however it’s worth it – “schools of hammerheads” should be on your bucketlist!
Hammerheads are also seen in the Banda Sea on their seasonal, migratory routes.

Thresher sharks in Alor: This one is like hitting a jackpot! There are multiple, seasonal records of schooling Thresher sharks in Alor but remember that sadly these days they are endangered and pretty rare.
A non-profit foundation registered under the Indonesian government has been established to pass on to the local populations that these creatures are at a high risk of extinction. Want to come and try your luck?

Note: The majority of the dive sites where these big pelagics are usually encountered can have quite challenging currents. We suggest you get an Advanced certification (dive to greater depths) and – perhaps more importantly – your Drift Dive specialty before proceeding on your Indonesia Shark Diving Adventure.

Mola-Mola (Ocean sunfish) in Indonesia

Posted on June 9, 2023March 25, 2024 by Annabel Thomas

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Mola-Mola (Ocean sunfish) in Indonesia

The massive Ocean sunfish (Mola) is a unique and odd-looking fish. Mola are the world’s heaviest bony fish, reaching up to 1,000kg, and can have 300 million eggs. With their flat, tail-less body, they are not only the world’s largest bony fish, but also one of the most elusive fishes in the world. Sunfish develop their truncated, bullet-like shape because their back fin simply never grows; instead, it folds into itself as the enormous creature matures, creating a rounded rudder called a clauvus.

Their two long dorsal fins mean Mola-Mola can be 3.5m in height but, although they have rounded bodies, they are very narrow when seen from front/back (“mola” is Latin for ‘millstone’).

Mola-Mola in German is ‘schwimmender kopf’ = floating head; in French, Poisson Lune (Moon Fish). In fact, most languages have a name for Mola-Mola (some make more sense than others!).

WHERE in Indonesia to see Mola-Mola

Bali: The most likely place in Indonesia to see Molas. They are seen off the east coast of the mainland, and around the offshore island of Nusa Penida.

South of Komodo: The site is actually famous for Manta rays however sunfish are sometimes also seen.

Pantar Strait, Alor: Molas come up from the very deep waters to get cleaned and can be found lying flat on the surface.

WHEN to see Mola-Mola

To write from personal knowledge and experience, I’ll focus on Bali’s Mola which I believe are in Bali’s waters year-round (recorded as deep as 360m).

Mola suffer from external parasites (up to 40 kinds!) which need to be removed by ‘cleaner fish’. The cleaner fish live much shallower on coral reefs.

Therefore, from July to mid-November, Mola-Mola drift up on the incredibly cold, but very fertile, upwelling from the 3.5km deep Bali Trough off Bali’s southern coast, to get cleaned. That is how we are able to see them at recreational diving depths.

Seven days from now, our Nusa Penida trip will be focusing on Mola-Mola sites. So, if you are aiming for Mola-Mola this year, contact our Dive Travel Consultants and get yourself signed up. In addition, make sure you don’t miss out our Mola-Mola special offers.

HOW to see Mola-Mola

Despite their size, if they don’t feel safe, Mola won’t come close to the reef or approach the schools of fishes waiting to clean them.

If you see a Mola (or 4) or your AquaMarine Dive Guide spots one (or 7), just stop moving. At that stage, do not try to approach the Mola, two flips of those long dorsal fins, and they will be gone!

You need to stay really, really still, close to the reef. Let the fish come closer, settle on the reef, and go into their Cleaning Meditation. Once a Mola finds a place to get cleaned, it tips 45 degrees upwards, and often slightly sideways, and genuinely seems to go into a trance.

When that happens, usually you and your group, rather than the Molas, will be the first ones to leave as you are limited by maximum bottom time, or air supply. Plus the water can be very cold.

Movement and Diet

Mola are clumsy (but fast) swimmers, waggling their large dorsal and anal fins to move and steering with their clauvus.

Ocean sunfish mainly eat jellyfish – obviously in huge quantities! – so plastic bags pose a big hazard to them (this also applies to turtles).

Protection for Mola-Mola (Ocean sunfish)

The Coral Triangle Center (CTC, a non-profit organization engaged in Coral Reef Conservation) has proposed to the Indonesian Government to include Mola as one of the country’s Protected Animals.

PS: I’ll let you into a little secret – ssshh! Here in Bali we actually have Mola alexandrini rather than Mola-Mola, but “Mola-Mola” is so much more fun to say and it’s used Bali-wide.

Mola-Mola in Bali

Posted on February 7, 2017September 13, 2022 by DebF

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Mola Mola Bali Diving Info – How and When Mola-Mola (Ocean Sunfish) Facts The weird-but-wonderful-looking Mola-Mola (Ocean sunfish) is a major attraction for scuba divers coming to Bali. Mola-Mola are the world’s heaviest bony fish, reaching up to 1,000kg, and can have 300 million eggs. Their two long dorsal fins mean Mola-Mola can be 3.5...