Whale watchers in N.B. delight in seeing huge sunfish

ST. ANDREWS, N.B. -

A rare sighting of an ocean sunfish swimming in the Bay of Fundy was recently captured on camera during a whale-watching expedition around the area of Campobello Island.

A senior marine biologist with Island Quest Marine Whale and Wildlife Cruises in St. Andrews, N.B., says that one eagle-eyed guest aboard the board spotted a fin during the trip and they went to investigate.

“We headed over to the area, and the fish which we thought possibly at first was a shark, dove, so we sat for a couple of minutes waiting,” says Nicole Leavitt-Kennedy, “and something came up that was quite interesting, maybe more interesting than a shark, and that was an ocean sunfish.”

The ocean sunfish, also known as a mola, is often mistaken for a shark because of its large dorsal fin.

In fact, it’s the largest bony fish in the ocean and gets its name from its habit of floating on its side at the surface of the water – appearing to sunbathe.

“Their main source of food especially here in the Bay of Fundy is jellyfish, so if you can imagine feeding on jelly as your main diet, and then being able to grow up to 1,000 kilograms it’s quite amazing,” says Leavitt-Kennedy.

Although ocean sunfish have been documented in the Bay of Fundy – and Leavitt-Kennedy says one is usually spotted about once a year – they’re not something you see every day.

Marine biologist Steve Turnbull of the University of New Brunswick’s Saint John campus, says he’s seen less than a handful in his career, including one extremely memorable encounter swimming with one in the Campobello area.

“It was really curious,” says Turnbull, “as much as I was about him or her. It would swim up to me, literally about the same distance as I am to the camera and stare right at me, turn around and swim a little ways away.”

Sightings that serve as a reminder that you never know what you might see when sailing the Bay of Fundy, as Leavitt-Kennedy can attest to.

“It’s always a surprise. We see sometimes new creatures or unexpected creatures so it can be an amazing thing,” she said.