Lluvia de peces

Lluvia de Peces or Rain of Fish is a phenomenon that has been occurring for more than a century on a yearly basis in the country of Honduras.

Location of Yoro department

History and background

The "Rain of Fish" is common in Honduran Folklore. It occurs in the Departamento de Yoro, between the months of May and July.

Witnesses of this phenomenon state that it begins with a dark cloud in the sky followed by lightning, thunder, strong winds and heavy rain for 2 to 3 hours. Once the rain has stopped, hundreds of living fish are found on the ground. People take the fish home to cook and eat them [1].

Since 1998 a festival known as "Festival de la Lluvia de Peces" (Festival of the Rain of Fishes) is celebrated every year in the city of Yoro, Departamento de Yoro, Honduras [2],[3],[4],[5].

On July 26, 2006 a Honduran TV news program, Abriendo Brecha made a report about this famous phenomenon, saying that the Rain of Fish has been occurring twice a year lately.

Explanation

Although some experts have tried to explain the Rain of Fish as a natural meteorological phenomenon[6], the fish are not sea water fish, but fresh water fish; they are not dead, but alive; they are not big fish, but small; and the type of fish is not found elsewhere in the area.

The followings links have articles trying to explain this phenomenon (according to these articles, the fish comes from the Atlantic ocean -225 kilometers away-).[7], [8].[9]

Some people believe these fish do not fall from the sky as no fish fall on the roof of any house in the district. Instead, they postulate, these fish are fresh-water fish that swim from a nearby river into a subterranean water current. Some of the fish then leave this current and appear on the ground inland. However, most of the fish are not washed inland, as they stay in the water current and later put them back into the river.

In the 1970's National Geographic sent some professionals to report about this phenomenon. They discovered that all the fish were approximately the same size, around 6 inches (15.2 cm), and completely blind. The experts identified the species but found no record of it in any surrounding bodies of water. Their theory was that these fish are from underground rivers, never exposed to light and thus blind. [10]

There is still no explanation of how the cave fish end up on the surface.

It is considered by many as one of the seven incredible natural phenomena which occur every year [11],[12].

An esoteric institution tries to explain this phenomen according to its own teachings [13]

Father Subirana miracle

Many people believe this phenomenon occurs because of Father José Manuel Subirana, a Spanish catholic missionary and considered by many to be a Saint. He visited Honduras from 1856-1864, and upon encountering so many poor people, prayed for 3 days and 3 nights asking God for a miracle to help the poor people by providing food. The Rain of Fish has occurred ever since [14]

Today, Missionaries continue to ask God’s help for the poor people living in Honduras [15].

Trivia

• A popular song: "Conozca Honduras" (Knowing Honduras)[16] says:

..."Donde hay lluvia de peces cual milagro celestial"...

...(Where there is rain of fish, like a heavenly miracle)...

See also

• Raining animals