Watch: ‘Jubilee’ attracts millions of fish to the shallow waters of the Gulf Coast

Jake Markris has lived his entire life along the eastern shore of Mobile Bay on Alabama’s Gulf Coast. It is a renowned saltwater fishery and one of only two places on earth where anglers can witness an incredible shallow-water phenomenon known as a ‘jubilee’. These summer occurrences are caused by a lack of oxygen in the water, forcing all kinds of bottom-dwelling fish into the shallows, where they congregate along the beach and are easily targeted by local fishermen.

Markris, a 52-year-old Fairhope resident, has witnessed dozens of anniversaries over the years. But he says the one he witnessed and filmed on Wednesday was one of the best he’s ever seen. He says he planned to go fishing in the bay that morning, but then he got a call from a friend telling him there was an anniversary taking place near Point Clear.

“I knew we’d be wasting our time fishing because there’s an anniversary [caused by] lack of oxygen in the water, and the trout wouldn’t be where I expected them to be in the bay,” says Markris. Living outside. “So we loaded up and went to the Point Clear area, and it was surreal. Flounder, shrimp, croakers, spots, even sheepshead and some trout were sitting in inches of water, trying to get oxygen.”

A few other family members met Markris and his son on the beach, where they had scored a maximum of five flounder each in just a few minutes. The family didn’t even make a dent in the flounder count, and they weren’t the only ones harvesting fish along the beach. Video footage taken by Markris shows the staggering number of fish, shrimp and other marine life gathering in the shallow water. Many of them appeared to be struggling for air as they slowly spun around, which is typical of these events.

“Anniversaries are primarily caused by upwellings or upward movement of oxygen-poor bottom waters, forcing bottom-dwelling fish and crustaceans onto land,” the report said. experts from Auburn University and Alabama A&M. “Due to the lack of oxygen, these jubilee-affected fish and shellfish cannot perform normal muscular activities, such as swimming. They move slowly and seem reluctant to swim even if they don’t want to be captured.”

Markris emphasizes that he has no authority on anniversaries. But he and his family have been observing them for generations, studying weather patterns and discussing their theories with other fishermen. Markris estimates he’s seen about 50 different anniversaries over the years, and his parents have witnessed even more.

Read next: How to catch big bass in small creeks

He explains that anniversary celebrations typically begin in June along the eastern shore of Mobile Bay. (Tokyo Bay is the only other location in the world where these events take place, according to the BBC City of Fairhope.) Normally there is one in June, a few in July and August, and sometimes they can extend into September and October. Each event affects the fish differently, and sometimes it’s only shrimp, crabs and other crustaceans that are forced into the shallows. Other times it affects almost all bottom dwellers in the bay, including rays, flounder and other fin whales. Markris says he has seen them along a 300-foot stretch of coastline, while others have stretched for more than a mile.

Markris compares the situation to a forest fire. He says the fish sense the oxygen level dropping and run away. They go to areas with more dissolved oxygen, such as the mouths of food creeks, and Markris says there are several of these areas along the eastern shore of Mobile Bay.

“It all depends on the conditions in the bay, and you can just sense when something is going to happen. It must be hot and very calm, with no wind. And normally it starts before sunrise with the rising tide,” says Markris. “No wind and a rising tide during a few days of warm weather are the best conditions. People along the Bay know this, and there is a network of people spreading the word when it happens. It’s just part of life on the East Coast here.”

And it has been that way for some time. Coastal Alabamians have been recording anniversaries since the Civil War, and before modern fishing regulations were put in place, old-timers eagerly awaited the shallow waters, a free for all.

Read next: Watch: First swordfish ever landed from a jet ski in the Gulf

“There used to be big bells up and down the East Coast and when there was an anniversary going on, they would ring the bells and people would go to the bay to pick up fish, shrimp, crabs and more,” says Markris.

He remembers a story his father tells him about one of the anniversaries he experienced as a child. It lasted several days and his father used a bot gig to make the most of the opportunity.

“After that fourth day of receiving so many anniversary bones, my father’s mother told him that if he brought home another bone, something bad it would happen to him.”