My dad and I decided to go for a walk along Kommetjie beach midmorning today just to get out the house and enjoy a bit of fresh air. We often go to the long stretch of sand because it’s family- and dog-friendly, and has an easy-going energy to it. We had no idea what delights lay in store for us.
We parked the car at the parking lot and set off along the sand heading towards Noordhoek area. It was very quiet with just a few dog-owners walking their companions and one family taking poignant pictures of their young child walking barefoot and leaving imprints in the sand.
We walked for about half the length of the beach before heading back and we were just about to turn towards the car when I noticed something sticking out of the water and moving around quite close to the shore. I approached it excitedly and upon closer inspection we saw a beautiful flat fish with a propeller-like tale rushing frantically around the water. We recognised it because we had seen two of its type further along the beach; sadly they were dead.
The fish kept swimming closer and closer to the shore and inevitably it would have washed up. My dad pushed it back once and then another coupe came to check out what the commotion was. Again the fish washed itself ashore and this time the other guy picked it up. The fish is stunning close-up, silver with stripes of metallic blue running down its back. We took a few pictures before he quickly placed it back into the water. It shot off so quickly that we soon lost sight of it and my father and I turned towards the car.
I asked about the fish online and someone sent me a link to a notice released by the Two Oceans Aquarium telling the public to call them immediately if they come across a live fish. It is a slender sunfish and they have been receiving numerous calls about them washing ashore up and down the coast. The helpful lady on the other end of the call assured me that they had been notified about this poor sunfish and that they had sent out their team to Kommetjie already.
You can also check out the Youtube video of the sunfish here.
Jade Scully is a copywriter excited about writing copy and stories, blogging about the world and editing. She currently and regularly publishes her stories on a number of blogs. Jade loves animals and hopes to begin writing copy for the animal rescue charity TEARS as her contribution to the cause.
