Gone Fishin’

What do you need to catch a fish? A fishing rod, bait, maybe a net. . . . But how do animals catch fish? They don’t have fishing rods or nets. They don’t need them! God gave animals that eat fish many different ways to catch their food.

Brown Bears

Bears learn from their mothers how to catch fish. A bear might wait for a fish to jump close enough to catch it in its mouth, or it might sit in the water and wait for a fish to swim nearby. Some bears chase fish and use their paws to trap them against the river bottom. Other bears even dive underwater to catch fish.

With a parent’s permission, check out these live webcams of brown bears fishing in Alaska: explore.org/livecams/brown-bears/brown-bear-salmon-cam-brooks-falls.

The Fishing Cat

This South Asian cat has special water-resistant fur. Partially webbed front feet make it a good swimmer, and it gets right into the water to hunt for fish. It makes a catch by sticking its head underwater or by scooping fish out with its paws.

Birds

Brown Pelicans spot fish from the air and then dive headfirst from as much as 20 meters (21.8 yards) to catch fish in their expandable bill pouches.

American White Pelicans work together as a flock to herd fish toward shore, where they are more easily caught.

Ospreys dive feet first from the air to grab fish with their long, curved talons and prickly-soled feet.

The Black Skimmer flies low over the water with its lower bill just under the surface. When it feels a fish the upper bill snaps down to trap it.

Otter Fishing

In Bangladesh, the centuries-old tradition of otter fishing still is used today. Fishermen work together with trained otters that chase fish toward fishing nets. Otter fishing was used in China more than 1,400 years ago. Later it was also used in Europe, India, and Malaysia.

Fishers of Men Some of Jesus’ first followers were fishermen. They used nets to catch fish. When Jesus saw them in their boats, he called for them to follow him, saying, “I will send you out to fish for people” (Mark 1:17). Fishers of people tell others about Jesus. They “fish” them out of this world and into God’s kingdom!