Huge fish 'kills itself' in front of visitors after it's blinded by camera flash

27 August 2023 , 20:19

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Huge fish 'kills itself' in front of visitors after it's blinded by camera flash

Horrifying images show the moment a tuna fish 'killed itself' after being snapped in an aquarium with flash photography.

The shocking images were posted on social media platform Reddit and sparked debates on the suitability of flash photography at aquatic museums. In distressing footage, visitors can be seen taking flash photography of the fish tank at a crowded aquarium exhibit, with an unknown location.

As the clip continues, viewers can see a tuna fish abruptly swim head-on into the glass, and then sink to the bottom of the aquarium. The horrifying incident left guests shocked and some can be heard gasping after what they witnessed. The troubling event caused a Reddit user to comment on the video, arguing that the use of flash photography in aquariums should be banned considering it can make fish agitated and aggressive.

The tuna fish can then be seen sinking to the bottom of its tank (Reddit/u/29PiecesOfSilver)

Other users debated over the issues of flash photography and how they would have dealt with the situation. One user said: "I've always adhered to the "no flash photography" in an aquarium, but I never knew why or what could happen. After seeing this I will start ripping people a new one when I see the flash go off."

Another Reddit user said: "It’s all those people who don’t know what flash even is, let alone how to turn it off. “Open phone, click button, picture!” is about as sophisticated as it gets with some folks." A third wrote: "While I understand the outrage that this caused a fish to kill itself, I suspect it was not intentional. Though obviously they should’ve double checked to make sure it was off."

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Aquariums and swimming pools are known to have acrylic displays which are highly reflective surfaces that can be affected by flash photography. A light can bounce off the acrylic surface and create reflections in these sorts of environments which has the ability to be confusing for the animals inside.

Fish are easily impacted by the flash of bright light and they can become disorientated as due to the reflection, they may believe the water continues onward in that direction. The flash can also develop aggression in some animals who may feel threatened by the flash.

Due to these many negative impacts of flash photography, places that portray acrylic displays such as aquariums have actively discouraged its use. Not only would its lack of use protect the animals, it could also ensure the protection and safety of the visitors, as well as the photographers.

Charlotte Hawes