Thousands of fish jumping around on the water surface causing a stir: What do experts say?

(Dan Tri) - A strange scene was recorded by tourists on June 1 at Dien Tri Lake (China) with nearly a thousand white carp jumping around on the water surface.

In early June, tourists had the opportunity to visit Dien Tri Lake in Kunming City (Yunnan Province, China) and were surprised to see the moment when nearly a thousand fish jumped around on the water surface.

According to a witness at the scene, this scene lasted for about a minute. The strange phenomenon made many people question whether there was a problem with the water quality in the lake that caused the fish to jump.

However, according to experts, silver carp are extremely sensitive to changes in water currents and tend to gather in schools and move in groups.

Nearly a thousand fish jumping around on the water surface (Photo cut from clip).

At the time of the incident, Kunming city witnessed many consecutive days of heavy rain, leading to a large amount of water pouring into Dien Tri Lake.

Especially at the discharge area of ​​the pumping station, where the current becomes extremely strong and swift, the silver carp clearly sense the change and their instincts arise. They flock to the area of ​​strong current, jostling for space and jumping up.

Another factor that cannot be ignored is human disturbance. This area is a marina. Normally, motorboats pass by at high speed. Each time a boat passes by, the water surface is stirred up violently, creating loud noise and vibrations.

Silver carp are already stressed by the strong currents, and the movement of boats and ships can cause them to panic. The stress response is even stronger, causing them to jump even more violently. Some fish, because they jumped too high and could not control the direction, crashed into yachts, rocks or breakwaters, causing injuries or death.

However, locals continue to question whether the fish jumping is related to polluted water. Could it be that the water lacks oxygen, causing the fish to suffocate and jump out?

Visitors feed seagulls at Dien Tri Lake (Photo: Tour).

On June 3, a team of environmental experts brought equipment to the site to conduct measurements. The final inspection concluded: The water quality of Dien Tri Lake remains stable, no electrical leakage was detected. Dien Tri Lake also does not have a widespread lack of oxygen.

However, because the fish are too concentrated in the pumping station area, which is a relatively narrow water area, many individuals breathing together and consuming oxygen can cause a local lack of oxygen in that area. This causes the fish to jump even more.

In response to the question of whether the Dianchi Lake ecosystem is being overloaded, the group of experts explained that this phenomenon has occurred in Daming Lake in Jinan (Shandong Province) or Linhai Lake (Zhejiang Province).

“This is a random phenomenon and does not mean the ecological collapse of the entire lake,” the expert group representative concluded.

Previously, since 2020, the local government has implemented a 10-year fishing ban policy in Dien Tri Lake. The policy has immediately brought about clear results.

Previously, the lake had about 26 species of fish. Up to now, the number of species has remained stable (including the rare and endemic species of the Dien Tri golden carp). The number of fish has increased sharply, and aquatic life is also more abundant. Not only fish, but aquatic plants have also developed with a total of more than 300 species. Along with that, the number of birds residing in the lake has also increased, with more than 170 species recorded.

The changes so far show that after many years of restoration and protection, the water ecosystem of Dien Tri Lake is gradually recovering, even more stable than before.

Dianchi Lake is considered a gem in Xishan District, 15km west of Kunming city center. Also known as Kunming Lake, this is a natural freshwater lake located at an altitude of more than 1,886m above sea level, and is also the third largest natural lake in China.

Surrounding Dien Tri Lake are majestic mountain ranges: Kim Ma Son to the east, Bich Ke Son to the west. These mountains have created a picturesque scene, attracting millions of tourists to this place every year.

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/du-lich/nghin-con-ca-nhay-loan-tren-mat-nuoc-gay-xon-xao-chuyen-gia-noi-gi-20250605150008342.htm