"Millions" of tiny fish stunned British beachgoers by jumping from the sea en masse, with people able to collect them in bags to take home for dinner.
The fish were chased into the shallows in Gwynedd, Wales, by hungry mackerel this week. Some beachgoers even waded out and managed to catch mackerel by hand.
Countless whitebait and brisling were spotted along the high tide line on Pwllheli beach, reports NorthWalesLive. Many more were writhing on pebbles at the water's edge in a desperate attempt to escape pursuing mackerel.
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Retired academic Ambra Burls, 69, lives nearby and was taking a stroll with her partner when the extraordinary event occurred.
"I’m not talking thousands of fish, I’m talking millions," she said.
Experts say shoals of fish can end up beaching themselves as they swim to shallow waters to escape predators, only to be left stranded when the tide goes out. Natural Resources Wales previously said people should not be worried about the phenomenon.
As soon as Ambra reached Pwllheli beach she realised something incredible was happening. “The whole beach was strewn with fish, all the way up towards the Cob back into town,” she said.
“I’ve been here 11 years and, living near the beach, I walk there regularly. But I’d never seen anything like this before. Youngsters were picking them up from the shoreline and mothers were putting them in bags – a couple of them told me they were taking them home to eat."
Ambra continued: “In the shallows, people were standing in the shoals of fish, in maybe 1.5ft of water. Some were scooping them out and putting them in bags. I was amazed by the sheer numbers of whitebait.
“Some people were even catching mackerel with their bare hands. They were young mackerel, perhaps just six inches to a foot long. A couple of fishermen were on the beach but they ignored the small mackerel – they were after the bigger ones!”
Although the lines of dead and live fish stretched right along the beach – Ambra walked a 1,600-metre section – those grabbing them focused on the end close to a golf club. “Some whitebait were trying to get back into the water but not many,” said Ambra. “It was a case of dying on the beach or being eaten by mackerel."
While a bizarre sight, mass whitebait strandings are not uncommon, with similar sights seen in Wales and Cornwall in recent years. In October 2020, several tonnes of sprats were washed up on Benar Beach, near Barmouth, Gwynedd.
Natural Resources Wales said fish gathered in bait balls often ground themselves on beaches in an effort to escape. “Although it may appear worrying, it is only nature at work,” said the environmental regulator.
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