Thousands of fish have washed up alive on a beach in Acapulco, Mexico prompting crowds of local residents and fishermen to violate the coronavirus lockdown. People flocked to the beach in the south-western state of Guerrero with empty buckets to collect the fish, which according to local media reports belong to a species of mackerel. A similar incident was witnessed in Venezuela.
An official has denied rumours spread by locals that the incident was caused by the absence of people and fishermen due to the coronavirus lockdown. Sabas Arturo de la Rosa Camacho said that he believes the fish approached the shore while hunting for sardines.
The mass stranding of fish is not an uncommon event. In recent years, the number of these incidents has risen. Scientists still cannot say for sure what causes this unusual behaviour. Theories range from underwater seismic activity, lingering effects of oil spills, and exposure to sonar, to extreme weather factors.
The recent incident comes a week after another natural phenomenon painted coastal waters in a blue colour.
