Updated / Monday, 7 Sep 2026
17:12
Shauna Burdis
Passengers on a boat trip off Acaill, Co Mayo, recently enjoyed a rare encounter with an ocean sunfish.
The sunfish – the largest boney fish in the world – was swimming at the surface when it approached the Achill Sea Safari RIB on an excursion earlier this month.
They are typically found in tropical and temperate waters but they are occasionally seen from boats in Irish waters during the summer.
Sunfish can reach up to 3.2 metres in length, and weigh up to 2.3 tonnes.
The sunfish was the latest exciting encounter for the Achill Sea Safari – a humpback whale was spotted in Acaill waters on several occasions over the past three weeks.
On the way back from Achill Head, the tour spotted the ocean sunfish in Keem Bay, only two weeks after witnessing a humpback whale in Achill waters for the first time in 14 years.
Watch the video to see the mola mola, otherwise known as an ocean sunfish.