Rare encounter with elusive ocean giant off Mayo coast

Passengers aboard an Achill Sea Safari boat had a rare close encounter with an ocean sunfish off the Mayo coast.

The fish, also known as a mola mola, was swimming at the surface when it approached the tour’s rigid inflatable boat during an excursion earlier this month. The encounter took place in Keem Bay, on the return journey from Achill Head.

Ocean sunfish usually inhabit tropical and temperate waters, but boats occasionally spot them in Irish waters during the summer. They can reach 3.2 metres in length and weigh as much as 2.3 tonnes, making them the largest bony fish in the world.

The sighting added to a run of memorable encounters for the tour operator. A humpback whale appeared several times in Achill waters over the previous three weeks, including a sighting just two weeks earlier that marked the first time the species had been seen in those waters in 14 years.