“They that go down to the sea . . . see the works of the Lord, and His wonders in the deep.”
Psalm 107:23-24
Huge schools of bluefish live in the Atlantic Ocean, off the shores of Eastern Canada and the United States to the southern tip of South America. They have been known to migrate in tremendous numbers, at times in schools more than fifty miles wide, from which individual groups separate from time to time to go their own way. It is estimated that many thousands of tons of them are caught by fishermen throughout the world, but mostly off the eastern coast of North America.
Bluefish are about fifteen to twenty-four inches long and usually weigh one to four pounds. But some grow over three feet long and may weigh more than thirty pounds. Their name comes from their bluish color. They are fierce and usually hungry, never seeming to satisfy their hunger with enough fish and eels, their main food. They catch these with mouths wide open and often swallow them whole.
Some fishermen call the bluefish the fiercest fish in the ocean. When hooked, they fight hard and sometimes even attack the person taking it off the hook, severely biting hands, fingers and arms with their dagger-like teeth. When a bluefish catches a fish too large to swallow whole, it will bite it in two. Another bluefish will immediately grab the other half.
They are not the least bit afraid of people. If a person falls into water close to a bluefish, it may not hesitate to attack the person with its razor-sharp teeth. If not quickly rescued, the bluefish may cause the person’s death.
These fish are not in demand as a commercial fish, because they do not keep well and freezing them spoils the taste. Therefore, they are mainly a sport fish for fishermen who want some excitement. A hooked bluefish will fight and leap into the air as it tries to shake the hook out of its mouth.
The opening Bible verse speaks of the wonders of God’s creation in the depths of the oceans. It is certainly wonderful to think of the wonders of His creation in this great world on which we live and realize that its great oceans cover more than seventy percent of the surface. Solomon wrote in Ecclesiastes 1:7, “All the rivers run into the sea; yet the sea is not full; unto the place from whence the rivers come, thither they return again.”
Some researchers have marveled at the wisdom of the Creator who arranged for such perfection. In Psalm 139:6,14, David said it so well in speaking of the wonders of creation: “Such knowledge is too wonderful for me. . . . I will praise Thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvelous are Thy works.” We all should agree with David.
ML-12/31/2006