2008/05/02

UPDATE - Something fishy


Yesterday we visited the lagoon again, trying to find some answers and hoping for good news. We were not expecting this at all.


We found the fish that two days before were struggling for air.
They were dead.

Some of them at the bottom, some of them on the shore. A few small ones still fighting, breathing heavily and swimming on their sides.


The smell was very strong and the sight was sad, sad, sad.


Still nothing on the news. I don't want this to just dissappear. Last night I talked to my friend Yolanda, she's a young student and an activist for conservation of native flora and fauna. I met her a few months ago at the Wildlife Brigade. She said she was going to get a couple of friends from the university to go there and test the water, collect samples, and try to find out what is going on.


I recorded a short video too.
Sad.


18 comments:

Sherry at the Zoo said...

Oh my. This is devastating. Please keep us posted on what is happening. This makes me so sad.

Bird Feeder Scott said...

Very strange. I will be very curious to see if they find something in the water. Keep us posted!

Dave Coulter said...

Wow. Hopefully the tests will reveal the problem. Sometimes there are fish kills when oxygen levels get too low...

Anonymous said...

Looks like something very fishy~! Wonder whats wrong?

RuthieJ said...

I hope your friend and her associates can figure out what caused this fish kill. Keep us posted Mel.

Meggie said...

Oh Mel, I'm so sorry that the results were so devastating. Please let us know the results of the water testing.

Coy Hill said...

The fish’s symptoms are consistent with low dissolved oxygen levels (DO) but why? I have seen kills like this when a decaying algae bloom removes the DO from the water.

I’m interested to hear what your friends find.

Q said...

Dear Mel,
My goodness dear heart! Sending 2 parts gratitude and 1 part love (Dr. Emmoto's recipe for cleaning water.) The Egret is stunning. I bet she will be hungry with all of her fish dead...
So sorry sweet heart..
So very, very sorry.
Thank goodness you had the water tested. Looking forward to finding out what is going on.
Hugs,
Sherry

Sekhar said...

This is sad. Really sad indeed. Hope Yolanda finds some answers. Keep informing Mel :(

Mel said...

Hola a todos,

Sherry, it is devastating as you said. This is a happy place very close to home, small place to feel out of the city for a few minutes.

Birding Scott, strange and unusual, I'll let you know Yolanda's findings.

Dave, I believe it must be some oxygen related issue too, but nothing certain until they check that water.

Mon@rch, hopefully we'll find out what's wrong with it.

Bird girl, that's a great point you make there: to learn a lesson from it!

Meggie, I'll post whatever the results are, good or bad, so we can all understand better this particular situation.

Salty, the curious thing about this is that we haven't seen ANY algae washed out on the shore or on the rocks...

Sherry, thanks for that recipe!! It's soooo needed right now!!

Sekhar, I'll call Yolanda this evening, hopefully she can find out something about it :(

Dr. Monkey Von Monkerstein said...

Keep on this and let us know what happens.

Sandpiper (Lin) said...

I must be tired. I thought I had commented here, but I don't see my comment. These are sad pictures of the fish. I hope they find out what the problem is.

Susan Gets Native said...

That is frightening.
It seems too massive to be natural. Keep us posted, okay?

Anonymous said...

I would also like to know what happens? I think it is somebody dumped some chemicals in the lake and they should be punished if it is true.

Also so sad to see the little bird all banged up by the cat. I hope cats pay for this with a side trip to hell. I don't like it that neighbors let their cats out to kill wildlife.

Stacey Olson said...

Do you have a "game and fish" or fish and game commission there? I would contact them, and if nothing happens you may want to alert the local media.. then maybe someone who knows what to do will get something done. This doesn't just effect the fish, but also the birds, then whatever eats the birds... chain reaction. and if it is the water, It may get or already be in your drinking/ ground water... hope this helps.. and keep us posted

Olli Haukkovaara said...

That looks very bad, Mel. We had similar fish deaths long ago here in Finland, when paper mills were still allowed to let all their waste waters to lakes. Fortunately it's already history here. I hope your friends find out what's wrong with the lake.

Mel said...

Hello guys,

Dr. Monkey, I'll do that ;)

Sandpiper, it's ok, you left one on the post that started all... They are sad pictures, and they are nothing compared to the real thing..

Susan, we want to find out because of that, in order to be able to prevent it, or at least try.

Mr. Lincoln, it's so nice to have you around, your blog and award winning pictures are just great :)

Stacy, we don't have such comission here, but I know volunteers from the Wildlife Brigade, as I'm trying to become a member ;) In fact that's how I met Yolanda, the lovely girl that is making the tests on the water and dead fish. The brigade is part of INRENA, the National Institute of Natural Recourses, so, at the end we'll find a way to do something. We just need enough proof.

Olli, is good to know that you don't get that anymore over there. Let's hope it stays like that :)

Mel said...

Hi Ruthie, your comment just made it here... we hope that too!!