Shark Scare in Nice… Oh, was only a Mola Mola or Poisson Lune
What locals suspected as being a shark turned out to be far less dangerous. Photo courtesy of the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
We were talking to one of the marine guides down at the port the other day, and the guide recounted the story of a fin sighting in the Port de Nice a few weeks back. People got pretty nervous because they thought it was a shark at first (which is extremely rare to see in this area, there are close to no sharks here), but it turns out that it was just a Poisson Lune, or Mola Mola. Mola Molas are pretty rare to see here too, and are completely harmless except when eaten. Their flesh can be quite poisonous.
According to fishbase.org:
They occur naturally in warm and temperate zones of all oceans.The Eastern Pacific from British Columbia, Canada to Peru and Chile. The Eastern Atlantic from Scandinavia to South Africa (occasionally western Baltic, Mediterranean). And the Western Atlantic from Newfoundland, Canada to Argentina. The fish is found on slopes adjacent to deep water. The fish comes in for shelter and for seeking cleaner fishes. The fish is usually shy. However, it may become familiar with divers in some locations. The species often drifts at the surface while lying on its side. It swims upright and close to the surface. The dorsal fin often protrudes above the water. The species has been filmed in 480 m depth with the help of a camera equipped with baits. The species eats fishes, mollusks, zooplankton, jellyfish, crustaceans and brittle stars.
