Name: Swim with the giant sunfish
Uploaded: 2007-05-21T15:59:00Z
Duration: 16 min 28 s
Description: Marine biologist Tierney Thys asks us to step into the water to visit the world of the Mola mola, or giant ocean sunfish. Basking, eating jellyfish and getting massages, this behemoth offers clues to life in the open sea.

Tierney Thys: Swim with the giant sunfish

Swim with the giant sunfish

Marine biologist Tierney Thys asks us to step into the water to visit the world of the Mola mola, or giant ocean sunfish. Basking, eating jellyfish and getting massages, this behemoth offers clues to life in the open sea.

The giant ocean sunfish, or Mola mola, thrives in the open sea, a realm that makes up 90 percent of Earth's living space. This peculiar, jellyfish-eating behemoth can grow from a tiny egg to over 5,000 pounds, holding the record for the world’s heaviest bony fish. Tracking their journeys with new tagging technology shows these creatures are anything but lazy, plunging hundreds of meters daily and linking diverse marine worlds. Understanding their habits may hold the key to protecting ocean life from the threats of overfishing, pollution, and climate change.