Hi All! I hope everyone is having a great week. Before we get into, just one quick little itsy bitsy thing…Please keep sharing this newsletter with friends and/or enemies, thanks 🙏

Meet the Mola: Cape Cod’s Strangest Summer Visitor

Every summer, the ocean sunfish—Mola mola—glides into Cape Cod and Massachusetts Bay, turning heads with its giant, disk-shaped body and quirky habit of lying sideways at the surface like it’s sunbathing (which is how it got its nickname!). But don’t be fooled by its lazy appearance—this fish is full of surprises.

At up to 10 feet long and 4,000 pounds, the Mola mola is the world’s heaviest bony fish. Its odd shape—like a giant fish head with barely any tail—makes it look like something out of a cartoon. Its mouth is permanently open, formed by fused teeth, and perfect for snacking on jellyfish, man-o-war, and other squishy sea creatures. And while they may seem slow, they can dive to over 2,000 feet deep in search of food!

Even baby molas are fascinating: they start out as tiny, spiky larvae and eventually morph into smooth-skinned, mucus-coated adults with a body that feels like sandpaper. And get this—female molas can produce more eggs than any other vertebrate: up to 300 million at a time!

Happenings

It’s the last few days to score 30% off everything for the month of July at Meadow in Hingham (info)

Wednesday

Live Music with Chris B at The Rye Tavern in Plymouth

Thursday

Sip & Shop at Nectar Collective in Plymouth 5-7pm - Sip & shop and learn more about the Jordan Hospital Club (info) 

Friday

Deadline to apply for local author fair happening in Plymouth on October 18th (info to apply) 

First Fridays Plymouth in Downtown Plymouth 5-8pm (info)

Saturday

Arts & Crafts on the Green in Plymouth 11am-4pm (info)

Sunday

Tails on Tap Adoption Event at Stellwagen Beer Company in Marshfield 12-3pm (info) 

Upcoming Happenings

August 5th: Pollinator Walk at Myles Standish State Forest, 149 Cranberry Road, Carver 9:30am-11:00am (info)

August 6th: Pirates with RI Pirates Guy at The Plymouth Public Library (registration required)

August 21st: Pre-Party for Changes in Latitudes concert at Margaritaville Resort Cape Cod in Hyannis 4pm  (info) 

Night Sky

Tonight’s waxing crescent moon is just 25% illuminated, setting the stage for great planet viewing. Saturn rises around 10:22 p.m. and shines brightly overnight—don’t miss it! Early risers can catch Venus and Jupiter just before sunrise (2:36 a.m. and 3:26 a.m., respectively), while Mars sets around 10:05 p.m. Uranus and Neptune are also up in the early morning hours, but you’ll need binoculars. Sunset is at 8:03 p.m., with night falling after nautical twilight ends at 9:14 p.m.