Another unusual sea creature spotted in Puget Sound

Some very unusual sea creatures have been spotted visiting the waters of Puget Sound including an ocean sunfish, called a Mola Mola.

Mola Molas can grow to 11 feet long, weigh more than a ton, and they eat jellyfish.

Jonah Zimmerman got a shot of the big fish swimming near his boat not far from Tacoma.

These fish are rarely seen in our waters because they are warm-water fish but researchers at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said a marine heat wave has been warming up West Coast waters enough that new species are following the things they eat all the way here.

Last month, someone else found a rare bluefin tuna washed up on the beach at Orcas Island. These Pacific bluefin tuna are usually not seen north of the California coast, although they can follow food for hundreds of miles in only a few days.

NOAA Fisheries West Coast has a Facebook page where they are posting photos and videos of unusual fish seen in the Puget Sound and they’re trying to keep track of what people see. You can post anything you see on their Facebook page for their experts to weigh in.

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