The Oregon Coast has become an unexpected showcase for giant sea creatures as another Mola mola, commonly known as an ocean sunfish, has made a grand appearance, washing up at Hug Point. This marks the third such incident reported in Clatsop County since June, as confirmed by the Seaside Aquarium. The sunfish, measuring just under seven feet, fell into the category of average size for its kind in that area, the aquarium noted.
In a striking sequence of events that has piqued the curiosity of locals and visitors alike, it all started in June with a Mola tecta—better known as a hoodwinker sunfish, a species only recently identified as separate from its Mola mola cousins while the latest Mola mola arrived in August and now, with this third specimen in September, the collection of washed-up sunfish seems as episodic as it is mysterious, though no official word has arisen on what exactly is causing the phenomenon, data obtained from McClatchy News and the Seaside Aquarium suggests this could simply be an unusual natural occurrence.
The Seaside Aquarium sparked interest nationally earlier when it reported the extraordinary case of the hoodwinker sunfish, an occurrence that was particularly notable given that this was the first time a Mola tecta was documented to have washed up in Oregon. Those inclined to feast their eyes on the marine marvel at Hug Point State Park have been advised by the aquarium to visit during low tide and head north toward the waterfall, as relayed in a statement by the KPTV.
