Fish That Fly 

Sailing from St. Lucia to Martinique we were accompanied by a pair of Boobies swooping and soaring, skimming the waves, scavenging for the flying fish scurrying out of our way as Irene IV slithered through the water. We gazed mesmerized as the agile birds expertly watched for the optimal millisecond to plunge into the line of flight of these speedy hummingbirds of the sea and swallow them whole with a delighted gulp.

“Flying fish (Exocoetus) are ray-finned fish with highly modified pectoral fins. Despite their name, flying fish aren’t capable of powered flight. Instead, they propel themselves out of the water at speeds of more than 56 kilometers an hour. Once in the air, their rigid “wings” allow them to glide for up to 200 meters. The winglike pectoral fins are primarily for gliding—the fish hold the fins flat at their sides when swimming. Their streamlined bodies reduce drag when the fish are “flying.”

Another interesting characteristic of the flying fish is its unevenly forked tail, which has a top lobe that’s shorter than the bottom lobe. Flying fish can be up to 45 centimeters long, but average 17 to 30 centimeters.

There are roughly 40 species of flying fish. Flying fish are tropical and temperate marine species that can be seen off both the Atlantic and Pacific coasts of the United States. They are also found in the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian oceans. Open oceans provide a habitat for most flying fish, but some live instead on the outskirts of coral reefs.

It’s thought that flying fish evolved a flying mechanism to escape from their many oceanic predators. Once in the air, though, they sometimes become food for birds. Young flying fish may have filaments protruding from their lower jaws that camouflage them as plant blossoms.”
(The National Wildlife Federation)

Flying fish have been our constant companions at every step of the way on our many passages around the world. Too many have met their end on our decks due to their inexpert “flying” abilities. Fortunately, walking the decks in the early morning Giles can smell a dead fish well before stepping on it! Last night (27^th March), while tendering back to the boat after dinner from Anse D’Arlet Bay to Grand Anse Bay in Martinique a very large flying fish hit our dinghy and gave us quite a start.

Louis was catapulted by an Exocoetus when sitting in the cockpit snoozing when we were sailing through the San Blas islands. He accused James Somerville of flinging a banana at him until he felt the frenzied wiggle of the flailing fish!

Rob was “attacked” in the wheel-well when a failed flyer jettisoned itself at his feet while he was motoring in the dark in the Whitsunday islands in Australia! He asked George and Freddie to get rid of it so that he did not bump into any reefs or rocks as we inched our way in the pitch black towards the anchorage.

George claims that he and Nick had “a battle” with a flying fish every night, on night watch, when he was working on Serendipity.

The stories abound.