François Pyrard of Laval’s Observations of Flying Fish and the Celestial Guides of the Open Sea

Sailing through a breathtaking scene, Francois Pyrard and his crew encounter a mesmerizing display of flying fish and seabirds against the backdrop of the open sea, capturing the essence of exploration and natural wonder during their East Indies voyage to the Maldives.

In the year 1601, as the French ships Corbin and Croissant pressed southward from Saint-Malo toward the East Indies, François Pyrard of Laval found himself amid the vast, uncertain expanse of the Atlantic under the Torrid Zone. Navigational challenges pressed upon the pilots. The familiar North Star sank ever lower toward the horizon, while the Southern Constellation,called the Antarctic Pole or Croisade,rose into view. Composed of four stars forming a cross, it stood some 27° distant from the true pole, yet it remained the nearest and most practical guide by which the pilots could determine their latitude. In this transitional realm of the heavens, where northern and southern stars briefly shared the sky, the sea itself offered a spectacle no less remarkable.

Here, Pyrard recorded, appeared a strange quantity of fish, about the size of mullets, furnished with wings like those of bats. These were the flying fish. When pursued by larger predatory fish,bonitos, albacores, and other swift hunters of the deep,they darted from the water and flew a considerable distance until their membranous wings dried. The dual threat to their existence was immediate and theatrical. Escaping the jaws beneath the surface, they entered the air only to become the prey of a vast multitude of sea birds that gave chase overhead. Their survival hinged upon regaining the safety of the sea before the birds could seize them.

Many of these fish fell upon the ships. Once they landed on a hard surface without water, they could not launch themselves again. For the crew, this misfortune proved a welcome boon: the fish were delicate and good eating, supplying fresh food amid the monotony of shipboard rations. The sailors also took great pleasure in watching the dramatic aerial chases, a living theater played out between sea and sky.

Many of these fish fell upon the ships. Once they landed on a hard surface without water, they could not launch themselves again. For the crew, this misfortune proved a welcome boon: the fish were delicate and good eating, supplying fresh food amid the monotony of shipboard rations. The sailors also took great pleasure in watching the dramatic aerial chases, a living theater played out between sea and sky.