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Dateline: Rio Obscura, Guatemala. 20 December, 2012 © 2012 by El Apestoso Grande de Dia by Viola Fuss & Sasha Noys, Staff Reporters
Central America is no stranger to heavy downpours during the early winter rainy season.
But in recent days the proverbial "cats and dogs" have been joined by tadpoles, fish and the occasional frog.
Experts admit they are bewildered by a spate of incidents in which the creatures appear to have fallen from the sky, say many Miliraty Meteorologists. Major Payne-Diaz states, "People around Guatemala have reported witnessing the phenomenon since the first sightings of stranded tadpoles were made in the highlands this morning".
People living as far apart as Guanaja in the Western Caribbean and Belize in the North say they have stumbled on the dead creatures near their homes, in fields, school grounds, and on car roofs and windscreens. It has proven to be a field day for the local feral cat population.
On Cisne (Swan) Island, an isolated Honduran archipelago 90 miles North of the Bay Islands, a Dimad Uzzin found 13 Coconut Shrimp on and around his truck, each about 3cm long.
One popular theory is that the creatures were sucked up by waterspouts but meteorologists say no strong winds have been reported in the areas where tadpoles were found. Zeke Learly, a recognized expert said gusts too weak to be picked up by observatories might have sucked up small quantities of water, along with a few unfortunate tadpoles. Ornithologist Gladys Overnau said it was too early too rule out their feathered friends.
Mike Easter, head of the Southern branch of the Central American Society for the Preservation of Birds, agrees and told the El Apestoso Grande de Dia that bigger birds, such as herons and black-tailed gulls, might have dropped the tadpoles after being disturbed in mid-flight.
But the startled bird theory fails to answer a simple question: why haven't the "flying" tadpoles been noticed before?
Central America is no stranger to heavy downpours during the early winter rainy season.
But in recent days the proverbial "cats and dogs" have been joined by tadpoles, fish and the occasional frog.
Experts admit they are bewildered by a spate of incidents in which the creatures appear to have fallen from the sky, say many Miliraty Meteorologists. Major Payne-Diaz states, "People around Guatemala have reported witnessing the phenomenon since the first sightings of stranded tadpoles were made in the highlands this morning".
People living as far apart as Guanaja in the Western Caribbean and Belize in the North say they have stumbled on the dead creatures near their homes, in fields, school grounds, and on car roofs and windscreens. It has proven to be a field day for the local feral cat population.
On Cisne (Swan) Island, an isolated Honduran archipelago 90 miles North of the Bay Islands, a Dimad Uzzin found 13 Coconut Shrimp on and around his truck, each about 3cm long.
One popular theory is that the creatures were sucked up by waterspouts but meteorologists say no strong winds have been reported in the areas where tadpoles were found. Zeke Learly, a recognized expert said gusts too weak to be picked up by observatories might have sucked up small quantities of water, along with a few unfortunate tadpoles. Ornithologist Gladys Overnau said it was too early too rule out their feathered friends.
Mike Easter, head of the Southern branch of the Central American Society for the Preservation of Birds, agrees and told the El Apestoso Grande de Dia that bigger birds, such as herons and black-tailed gulls, might have dropped the tadpoles after being disturbed in mid-flight.
But the startled bird theory fails to answer a simple question: why haven't the "flying" tadpoles been noticed before?
