Mola mola strandings on Cape Cod beaches spiked in the last few years

DENNIS — There have been 108 Mola mola strandings on Cape Cod this year, according to Carol “Krill” Carlson, whale biologist and part-time visiting lecturer at Bridgewater State University. Strandings of the giant fish have been increasing since Carlson and her New England Coastal Wildlife Association began keeping records in 2005.  

On Monday, a small 500-pound male washed up on Howes Beach in Dennis. On Tuesday another washed up on Corporation Beach in Dennis. Volunteers with the association responded to calls about the strandings. They are intent on learning more about the fish and trying to understand why the strandings are increasing.

Mola mola, or ocean sunfish, are found in temperate and tropical waters around the world. They are gentle, curious fish, Carlson said. Sunfish, which are related to puffer fish, blowfish and box fish, have a big dorsal fin and are powerful swimmers, capable of diving up to 3,000 feet, she said. They can grow up to 11 feet long and reach 2.5 tons according to the National Geographic website.  

“I can jump in shallow water and manhandle a 1,000-pound fish,” Carlson said. “The only thing they can do is spit water at you.” 

Who is studying Mola mola?

Carlson, a marine biologist, says there is little research on the ocean sunfish. And Carlson is anything but an elitist when it comes to animals in need. She and her volunteers respond to any animal they come across, be it a sunfish, sea turtle or bird. They have worked with the International Fund for Animal Welfare, and Mass Audubon on strandings.  

“We never say no,” Carlson said. “Every animal counts for us. We never walk by anything, whether we study it or not.” 

But no one is doing work on Mola mola research.  

“There is no money to support it,” Carlson said. “We’re an all-volunteer nonprofit. We’re great marine biologists, we just suck at fundraising.”  

Carlson started the association as a community network. She wanted to get people involved by reporting citings of the ocean sunfish, whether they were boaters, beach walkers, tourists or residents. The network could help scientists learn more about the biology of creatures, and help scientists understand what Mola molas are doing in Cape waters. 

The association's work may be beginning to pay off. A dead animal will provide scientists with clues on why they’re on the Cape, what they eat, and what their lives can tell us about the changing marine environment.  

How many Mola mola strandings have there been on Cape Cod?

In 2008, the association recorded eight Mola mola strandings on Cape Cod. In 2019 there were more than 160 strandings. This year they’ve recorded 108 strandings. Carlson thinks climate change has something to do with the rising numbers. With water temperatures in the Gulf of Maine rising, she thinks the fish are moving north where food is plentiful.  

More:Provincetown-based rescue team frees mola mola caught in rope off North Truro

More:Large ocean sunfish found dead off Provincetown

When cold temperatures return in the fall, the fish get stuck in the hook of the Cape. Seventy percent of all strandings have been in Wellfleet Harbor, Carlson said. The 4.5-mile harbor presents an especially difficult challenge for the big fish, dolphins, and turtles. 

They have rescued live Mola molas and brought them to deeper water when possible. Carcasses leave them the option of taking body measurements, photographs, tissue samples, and recording GPS coordinates, date and time of stranding. They share the information with researchers all over the world. 

They’ve sent small carcasses and tissue samples to researchers. They sent the head of a Mola mola to NOAA scientists in Woods Hole for their research on the eye structure of the big fish.  

The association is starting to work with Torpedo Rays, another animal no one cares about, Carlson said. The rays strand this time of year, too. The only electric ray in the area, they are capable of delivering a 220-volt shock to stun prey or keep predators away. The association rescued a ray off Crosby Landing in Brewster recently.

More:Mola mola rescued from Little Buttermilk Bay in Bourne

“We had to drag it one-quarter mile across the flats to get it into deep water,” Carlson said. “She was so mad at us.”  

Carlson has trained people all over New England. She calls them Team Mola.

“This is a community project,” she said. "If you’re energetic, passionate, and willing to learn, I can train anyone.” 

For more information, and for videos on past rescues, go to https://www.necwa.org/. 

Contact Denise Coffey at dcoffey@capecodonline.com. Follow her on Twitter: @DeniseCoffeyCCT.  

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