In the Pacific Ocean, Palau, a small island. It is a haven for marine biodiversity. During the full moon, many red snapperfish come together to mate. This gathering is chaotic and intense, hence the term “frenzy”.
A group of divers went to Palau to see a unique natural phenomenon. There are large numbers of red snapper fish meet in a specific location to reproduce. During this grouping, the fish release their eggs and sperm into the water, allowing for fertilization and the creation of new life.
These gatherings are important for the fish to survive and reproduce. Every month, before the full moon, thousands of red snappers meet in a specific location in Palau to mate.
When the directions change, the fish gather in a big group and start releasing their eggs and sperm. This makes the fish very active as the male fish try to fertilize as many eggs as they can. The divers are amazed to see the fish acting crazy while mating. It happens in the same place every time. So diverse usually go there to see it. It happens deep underwater, so only experts divers can go down to see it.
Mandy Etpison, a famous diver in Palau, said, there are many places in the ocean where fish gather to mate. There is a special place called, shark city in Palau, where red snapper fish come together. Another place is ulong sandbar, where parrotfish gather. “There are probably sites like that every 10 or 20 miles but we just don’t know where they are,” said Mandy Etpison of Neco Marine Dive Shop in Palau’s capital city of Koror.
We don’t know much about how fish behave when they mate. “I don’t know if there’s really been any work on that yet. They get cues from the moon, I think,” said Christina muller-karanassos, who leads the fisheries research projects at Palau’s international coral reef research center. “At spawns, you get some immature fish that follow bigger fish to the site. So maybe they learn.”
Palau has done a few things to protect its amazing marine life:
- Shark Sanctuary: they made a big area where sharks are safe from fishing.
- Marine Sanctuary: they set aside a huge part of the ocean where no fishing is allowed.
- Fishing Rules: they made rules to limit fishing in certain areas and at certain times.
These actions help to keep the ocean healthy and full of life.
Diving in Palau is a thrilling adventure. You can see amazing creatures like sharks, rays, colourful corals, and rare fish.
