Yearly Rain of Fish in Honduras Remains Unexplained

In the Depatmento de Yoro of Honduras a yearly rain of fish has been puzzling scientists for years. No one has yet explained why, or how this rain occurs, including a research team from National Geographic who documented the 'rainfall' in the 1970's. The Natives of Honduras don't feel like they need an explanation..or at least not a scientific one, anyway~ they believe the phenomenon is simply a miracle. Since 1998 the city of Yoro has even begun hosting a festival in celebration of the welcome occurrence, called appropriately 'The Rain Of Fish Festival'!

Folklore tells that the fish fall because of a Catholic priest, Father José Manuel Subirana , who visited the area from 1856- 1864. Father José Manuel Subirana was a missionary whom many Catholics (especially those in Honduras) consider to be a Saint, though he was never given Sainthood by the Church. During his mission in Honduras, legend tells, Father José was so troubled and moved by the poverty that he witnessed there that he fell into a fevered prayer that lasted for three days and three nights, where he asked the Lord to provide for the people. The prayer ended with the miraculous rain of fish, which has continued yearly to this day.

Whether one chooses to believe the folklore or not, some things about this story do appear to be true. Witnesses have reported that yearly in May or June, a heavy dark storm cloud appears on the horizon, which breaks into a heavy rain. The heavy downpour can last up to three hours, and when the rain ends, the streets are littered with small fish, who are all still quite alive. The natives there gladly scoop up the fish and carry them home to cook and eat. The national geographic researchers determined that the fish were all of the same fresh water species, which is a known species, but that does not inhabit any waters nearby the area.