We live near the mouth of the Rio de la Plata, and the water at the beach goes from being salt-free enough that the dogs will drink it, to being so salty that I can float (and I generally cannot float). Occasionally, best I can tell, the “wrong” water sweeps in, killing fish that aren’t adapted to it, which then wash up on shore. This looks a bit odiferous, and it was; I didn’t go for a walk this morning.
However, twice since we’ve been here I’ve seen the entire beach carpeted with dead fish, all their eyes pecked out by the birds.
Loverly, eh?
At the mouth of Solis Chico a few years ago…..
A WINTER FEAST
‘twas wild along the winter beach
the crashing waves relentless roar
had salted water driven deep
where river’s mouth has breached the shore
the carnage from the winter storm
stretched out along the river’s side
a deranged weaving formed of sticks
and many hundred fish that died
attracted eaters of the fish
the birds of shores all somehow knew
the gulls and cormorants were there
and even regal eagle too
the feast so rich they only plucked
the eyes from most the corpses there
occasion’lly a belly poke
the vacant sockets soulless stare
a thousand cats could there grow fat
but not a one had come that day
the sated birds could eat no more
with scores of fish to rot away
Casa Inspiración
11/09/08
Thanks – I remembered this when I saw them. Appraently this batch isn’t from shifting water, but unwanted fish dumped from a ship (nice)(not).
I am really doubtful of that claim as we went into MVD today and had the windows open driving all the length of the Rambla. Montevideo stinks! There are rotting fish all along the beaches and even a front-end loader working at removing some of the rotting carcasses. This is way too much volume and distribution to be a dumping of fish from any boat, even an aircraft carrier sized boat.