At some point in the 1850s or 1860s, Spanish missionary Father José Manuel Subirana visited Yoro, Honduras. After witnessing how poor and hungry the locals were, he prayed for three days and three nights for God to provide them with food. Soon, a dark cloud formed in the sky and, in response to his prayers, fish began to rain down from the sky and feed the city. This was the first recorded instance of the Rain of Fish phenomenon, at least according to legend.

But according to modern residents of Yoro, the Rain of Fish is very real and continues to this day. Allegedly, small silver fish rain from the sky at least once a year in the months of May or June. But do these accounts have scientific roots or are they more mythological?

Rain of Fish Records Yoro is one of Honduras’ 18 departments. The central-northern region is mostly impoverished. It has fertile valleys and is widely known for producing cereals. But Yoro is best known for its supposed Rain of Fish. Locals say that the Rain of Fish occurs every year, sometimes more than once, at the end of spring. The “Rain of Fish” (literally, “rain of fish”) only occurs after a strong and devastating storm, that is, when everyone is huddled inside. But when the storm passes, villagers know they must eagerly grab their baskets and head to the streets where sardine-like fish have been scattered. Even stranger, it has been discovered that those fish are not even native to Yoro’s local riverways.

Villagers maintain that the fish must have come from nothing less than the sky in a miraculous display of divine intervention. “It’s a miracle,” a local reported. “We see it as a blessing from God.” In fact, for many, it is a blessing, as it is the only time of year they can afford and eat fish. Poverty still prevails in the region. Families live in small adobe houses. For some, whose usual diet consists of corn, beans, or other crops they have cultivated themselves, this is the only time of year they can eat fresh seafood. For them, the Rain of Fish is indeed a miracle. “It’s a secret that only our Lord knows. It’s a great blessing because it comes from our skies.”