Watch: Flying Fish Soars Above The Sea At Lightning Speed

You must have seen fish in the deep sea, breathing through their gills. But have you ever witnessed a fish that flies? Majorly found in Barbados, these flying fish belong to the species Exocoetidae. These flying fish can make powerful, self-propelled jumps out of the water, where their wings-like fins enable them to glide considerable distances above water. The major reason for this phenomenon is believed to be to escape from underwater predators, including swordfish, mackerel and tuna. It is one of the national symbols of the country, Barbados. The flight of the flying fish was last recorded by a Japanese television crew off the coast of Yakushima Island, Japan. It reportedly spent 45 seconds in flight. Now, a video is going viral, in which the flight of the fish was recorded from a cruise.

In the latest viral video, a fish appears to be flying above the water. Its fins were moving at a high speed, enabling the fish to fly long distances. It was also able to change its direction while cruising over the water. The video was uploaded on the social media platform X (formerly called Twitter). Netizens are shocked after watching the flying fish. While some called it a video editing, others thanked the owner of the post for blessing their feed with such a marvel of nature.

“That is awesome. I never saw one before,” wrote one of the users in the comment section of the post. “Escaping a shark,” wrote another while trying to decode the phenomena of the fish.

These flying fish are usually found at a depth of 200 m. Fully broadened neural arches act as more stable and sturdier sites for these connections, creating a strong link between the vertebral column and cranium. To fly long and high, these fish need to have a steady glide. The unsteady glide will not impact their flight as much, but will shorten their flight duration not much more than a steady flight.