Summertime in temperate waters, a pelagic Mola Mola drifts into sight on the Gulf Stream. Ocean sunfish are our planet’s heaviest bony fish, often weighing in at over 1500 kgs. These enigmatic characters provide vital clues about the state of our oceans, so an encounter like this is both exhilarating and thought-provoking. They’re utterly mysterious, living much of their life in the depths. When they appear at the surface, they flip-flop from side to side, basking in the sun to warm their disc-shaped body.

Mola Mola are listed as vulnerable and they’re becoming increasingly rare to find. Tens of thousands a year are lost incidentally as bycatch. These wonderful, gentle giants are a key ecosystem species - as essential to the balance of life in our oceans as the moon is to tides.

Along with turtles, penguins and sharks, adult sunfish prey on jellyfish, helping control the booming numbers of gelatinous invertebrates. We’re aware that the vertebrate / invertebrate equation is way off-kilter. The critical question is, are we capable of addressing our part in that?

Location: Open ocean near Coll, Inner Hebrides, Scotland

Photographer: Laura Storm