Tips for Shooting Mola Molas?

We're off to Bali in a couple of weeks, hoping to see mola molas.

Anyone got any tips for shooting them? I've never even seen one, let alone took video. How do they behave? What's the best approach? Do they get scared away easily? Are closeups possible? Are they ever aggressive?

The molas in Bali are being hit pretty hard by too many divers lately. So they tend to be more skittish nowadays. Still, approaching from the front has always worked well. I've never seen a mola attack anything but jellyfish. Closeups are definitely possible if you get lucky

We're off to Bali in a couple of weeks, hoping to see mola molas.

 

Anyone got any tips for shooting them? I've never even seen one, let alone took video. How do they behave? What's the best approach? Do they get scared away easily? Are closeups possible? Are they ever aggressive?

Go wide angle, try to keep the sun behind you, and get a diver in the image. Some Molas are shy, others very friendly - a slow approach works best. If they head for deep water, don't follow.

I'd like to give you some pointers Nick having just come back from my Bali trip but you're best off getting advice from people who seem to be the Bali officianados. Last time I mentioned my advice re: Bali, man I got trounced.

PM?

Mark.

Go wide angle, try to keep the sun behind you, and get a diver in the image. Some Molas are shy, others very friendly - a slow approach works best. If they head for deep water, don't follow.

Gee Jim, you know in Bali there'll probably be at least 2 divers in the shot LOL.

Mark, I never thought you to be afraid of speaking your mind. But your choice.

Nick, in my Bali experience, the molas tend to be in drift dives and many times pretty deep. For instance Crystal Bay is a pretty good hit spot for Molas, esp on incoming tide. The viz can be pretty astounding there (hence the name crystal bay) so you can actually see across the other side of the valley. I dive EAN 32-36 on these dives to maximize bottom time.

Usually the molas will be getting cleaned by fish and will be facing away from the reef. Approaching perpendicular to them straight on will usually scare them, especially if you have a bunch of divers. Of course I've also had a few that just stayed in a trance while 5 people shoot the crap out of it. Of course, get rid of the stills guy because the strobe flash will usually wake it up from the trance. As Jim says, a slow approach from the back or front is better.

As for the technical side, the usual fixed focus works well. I personally like the eye shot pulling back to wide. Also watch for behavior like launching to the surface for a breach. I've seen it once but apparently happens quite a few times each season.

Sekolah Desar, Blue Corner and Toya Pakeh are also mola sites but tend to be pretty crowded, esp TP.

Not a technical tip, but a useful one. Take a warm wetsuit. If you get nice upwelling it can be 17-19ËšC.

They always make a big fuss in the UK about Molas each summer - talking about tropical species in Britain. Yet the only time I have seen them in the tropics is when the water temp is the same as in the UK (summer).

Alex

p.s. Nick, I am off to Bali soon (although not doing Molas) was showing my girlfriend your online videos so she knew what to expect from the diving. Thanks!

Cheers for the tips folks. Actually we're there to catch the full moon around 25th September so we'll be there after you Alex. A bit late but apparently vis can be better on full moon as opposed to dark moon. I hear they're up to their ears in molas at the moment so I hope they stick around. We're ready for the cold... we're geared up with 5mm steamers, 3mm hooded vests underneath and rash stuff under that.

Nick,

All that Drew said sounds right to me. Here are some additional tips worht considering.

-Crystal bay will be crowded. For some reason this year has had several times as many divers seeking the Mola out then last year . Time your dives to be off cycle. That is wait and watch until you see many dive groups returning, then begin your dive. The counter cycle method made a huge difference for us last year. We swam by divers and arrived a molas alone being cleaned...score!

-The Mola tend to rotate through cleaning stations. The swim in, get cleaned (or disturbed by divers) and swim into the blue. Chasing in pointless. They will draw you deep and your gas will disappear. Try to see the where they rotation cycle is going and position yourself for the next arrival.

-Shoot wide and fixed focus (.3m) with your L&M. Sun behind is best. Try to get down by the reef to get the Mola in its natural environs. If you have to shoot deep, lock your gain as the grain will be apparent even in great vis.

-If you are patient, you can get super close. My vid from last year (Mola Mola Video) offers some good examples. If you can get the parasites on the skin being picked by the banner fish, you have scored.

-Shots without divers are the tough ones as so many divers abound during this time of year. Good luck with that.

Best of luck!

-Shawn

So we did our dives supposedly on the most "optimised" dates of the whole year for mola sightings at Crystal Bay and it didn't really work out...

24th September 2007: More than 20 boats, more than 100 divers in the water at once, many being dragged around by divemasters on what appeared to be "try dives". There were a lot of small white or pastel-coloured fins crashing into a lot of hard coral.

Anyway at the start of the first dive we managed to find a bit of a gap in the human traffic and straight away at 30m was a mola being cleaned. The dive guide waved us on like crazy and as we approached, yours truly at the head of the chevron, we ended up getting pushed by the current straight at the mola, side-on. Needless to say it turned and left A textbook lesson in how not to approach a mola mola I would say.

Sadly that was my only real sighting. On the 2nd dive a couple of small molas swam by way way out in the blue. And on 26th there were no molas at all. I also heard there were none on 27th.

One of the very experienced Aquamarine guides told me that it really doesn't matter about the moon cycle. The sightings are random during the season and at any time of the lunar cycle.

Another of the guides told me that last year October much the best month and he saw 19 molas at Crystal Bay on one dive.

Anyway at least my Bali macro worked out really well. Seraya was rocking despite further destructive onslaughts of the pastel fin brigade. Watch this space B)

And yes, I froze my knackers off at Crystal Bay, especially on the second dive even though it didn't get colder than 20C. It felt like a leaky drysuit at 105m in north Scotland all over again. Thicker suit for this old wimp next time!

Nick,

Real problem is word is out on Crystal Bay. Waaaay to many divers all day every day. And with Bali seeming relatively 'safe' now to the 'tourist' divers, the place is extra full. I would say the hay day for molas has gone for Crystal Bay. Last year each lunar cycle was really, really good for molas there. This year, the mob ruined it. Time to move on and look elsewhere. I am just glad i had a really good run of it in times gone by.

Like you, this year was a bust on molas for me in Bali. They were most certainly there...just terrified of the crowds. Sorry mate.

shawn

20 Boats..OMG.....

Yeah, I'd have a look again if I was in Bali but certainly not on one of these "peak" days.

Apparently the Manta Point mantas have vanished too.

So did you find some good diving this year in Bali Shawn?

By the way I tapped a couple of the worst offending pastel-finned coral kickers on the shoulder and gave them the old "vigorous shaking of the ketchup bottle" hand gesture but they carried on regardless. They probably thought I was saying "The diving's crap here... where are all the bloody molas?!"

I went to Manta Point during my trip in July and saw about five on one dive. I for one was not really too enthused with the cold water scene over there. Only saw one Mola also, out of season so I consider myself lucky. Mind you mate, going by your post there doesn´t seem to be a defined season really.

The Ocean continues to play with us.

Cheers,

Mark.

Talking Mola Mola...

I caught a few seconds of an interview with a bloke who just spent many years trotting around the globe by man power alone...Nuts ain't the word..

When talking about his Pacific ocean crossing they said he came across numerous dangers including huge man eating sharks..Over the top of this they played a clip of him encountering a Mola Mola...

Watch out those buggers are ferocious..Massive teeth and a unique knowledge of small arms...I've seen one robbing a seven/eleven with a semi-auto glock... These killers should be approached with caution...Sod Navy seals they've got zilch on the Mola's of fortune...

Bring back Military service for out of control Mola's

Dive safe

Dean( holy glock a Mola)B

thanks for the warning Dean... will be in Bali this Sat. Gotta scramble around for some body armor and a helmet for my upcoming Crystal Bay dive... (not in fear of the Mola2's, but the pastel fin brigade... )

Nick,

Diving was ok on my trip...not he best and not the worst. We did have mantas at Manta Point as well. Like the molas they were skittish. I think way to many people are diving these sites now that tourism has resurged. Overall, i have never seen bali diving as crowded as i did this year.

Shawn

hmmm we had no boats and 6 molas in 7 sightings around N Penida... oh but that's not where everyone goes too. Not a soul around except the 5 of us.

hmmm we had no boats and 6 molas in 7 sightings around N Penida... oh but that's not where everyone goes too. Not a soul around except the 5 of us.

And then how many boats did we count in Crystal Bay? 14?

(Or was the 6 molas/7 sightings on a day after I left)

That's why we didn't go to Crystal Bay dude. Too many boats. Although my friends who just went saw 1 mola for 10 minutes with 15 divers around.

Still I don't see why we complain. It's a commodity and everyone has a right to go try to see them... it's the operators who have to limit access to keep the fish around. But for Bali operators to cooperate for the greater good is like asking for the first born. It ain't happening!

i just had 8 molas on 3 dives last week... all at crystal