It’s raining anchovies in San Francisco and no, we are not announcing a delicious, fishy festival in the city. Seagulls and pelicans are dropping their daily catch on the streets from mid-air.   

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SFGate reported the anchovy party, saying the fish was falling from the overstuffed mouths of the birds, who just couldn’t eat anymore. 

Experts report an explosion in anchovy population which they said was to do with a natural oceanic process called upwelling, characterized by cold, nutrient-rich water rising from the bottom to replace warmer water at the surface. 

The associate director of conservation education at the Marine Mammal Center in Sausalito told SFGate,  “The water temperatures right now do appear to be colder than normal, and this has provided some much-needed food for animals such as anchovies, seabirds and marine mammals.” 

Jim Ervin, a retired laboratory analyst at San Jose’s Environmental Services Department, said in his blog earlier this month that, the Anchovy population in the San Fransisco bay “just exploded.” From monthly totals of 29 and 52 in April and May this year, he wrote, the number had jumped to 2,600, “the second-highest monthly total we have ever seen.” The most, he said, was in January this year. 

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Earlier this month, a reddit user reported seeing silver fish “about 12 8-inch” long drop from the sky onto the roof and deck of his friend’s house. In videos being shared on social media, bright silver fish can be seen falling from the sky.

Anchovies are small fish between four to 10 inches long.  

The big birds of the San Francisco bay are gorging on anchovies, but they are a controversial food among humans, with many people rejecting them for their strong fishy and salty taste. Chefs the world over however love the umami. 

For those who like anchovies, they are a great way to oomph up sauces or even pastas and pizzas.