Anchovies Wash Up Along Marin County Shores, Fall From Sky

BOLINAS, CA — Thousands of dead anchovies washed up along Marin County shores in recent days and, a local researcher thinks seabirds are eating so much of the fish, they're throwing them back up — in mid-air.

People headed to the coast might see a massive number of silver fish lining the shores of shallow areas such as Bolinas Lagoon, Marin County Parks said last week. The agency posted a photo showing thousands of washed up anchovies.

"This can happen periodically when anchovies are abundant and get driven into bays and estuaries by predators," the agency said on social media.

When large numbers of fish crowd into shallow areas, they suffocate due to limited and depleting oxygen levels in the water.

"Gulls, terns, and other animals take advantage of the feast before it decomposes – but once that gets underway, things get a little stinky," the park agency said.

Max Korten, director of the parks agency told KGO-TV a predator in the ocean likely encountered the large school of fish near the mouth of Bolinas Lagoon, pushing them into the shallows.

Researcher Jim Ervin said seabirds are engorging themselves on the new fish feast.

“People might not want to visualize this, but I think they’re barfing, I think they’re flying over, just can’t take it anymore, gotta release," he told the TV station. "I would imagine."