Within Strange Singapore
Did Fish Really Fall on Singapore?
Singapore's fish rain is the country's strongest classic Fortean case because it combines odd weather, named witnesses and natural explanations.
On this page
- What Castelnau Reported
- Walking Catfish and Flood Explanations
- Why Animal Rains Stay Fortean
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Introduction
Did fish really fall on Singapore in 1861? The short answer is that something genuinely unusual appears to have happened, but exactly what happened remains uncertain. The event is one of Singapore’s strongest classic Fortean cases because it rests on a named eyewitness, identifiable fish, a specific date and weather conditions, rather than on anonymous folklore. In February 1861, French naturalist Francis de Castelnau described finding living walking catfish scattered across an area after torrential rain that followed an earthquake. He even reported fish inside his walled courtyard, which he believed ruled out simple flooding. More than 160 years later, the case still sits at the intersection of meteorology, zoology and mystery: intriguing enough to be remembered, yet ordinary enough that several natural explanations remain plausible.[Natural History Magazine]naturalhistorymag.comNatural History Magazine Rains of Fishes | Natural History MagazineNatural History Magazine Rains of Fishes | Natural History Magazine
What Castelnau Reported
The core account comes from Francis de Castelnau, a respected French naturalist and diplomat who was in Singapore during February 1861. His report was later translated and republished by zoologist E. W. Gudger in a survey of historical animal-rain cases, helping preserve details that might otherwise have been forgotten.[Natural History Magazine]naturalhistorymag.comNatural History Magazine Rains of Fishes | Natural History MagazineNatural History Magazine Rains of Fishes | Natural History Magazine
According to Castelnau:
- An earthquake was followed by exceptionally heavy rain on 20, 21 and 26 February 1861.
- When the weather cleared, he saw Malay and Chinese residents collecting fish from pools left by the storm.
- Local people told him the fish had “fallen from heaven”.
- Fish remained scattered about even after the pools had dried.
- He identified the animals as Clarias batrachus, the walking catfish.[sciencedirect.com]sciencedirect.comClarias batrachusChapter ORIGIN OF THE EPIZOOTIC ULCERATIVE SYNDROME PROBLEM 2016, Epizootic Ulcerative Fish Disease Syndro…
- He estimated the affected area at roughly fifty acres.
- Some fish were found inside his own walled courtyard, where he believed floodwater could not easily have carried them.
- The fish were alive and apparently healthy.[Natural History Magazine]naturalhistorymag.comNatural History Magazine Rains of Fishes | Natural History MagazineNatural History Magazine Rains of Fishes | Natural History Magazine
An important feature of the report is that Castelnau did not immediately claim a supernatural event. Instead, after describing what he had seen, he cautiously suggested that a waterspout over a Sumatran river might have lifted fish into the atmosphere before depositing them over Singapore. He admitted that this was only a tentative hypothesis.[Natural History Magazine]naturalhistorymag.comNatural History Magazine Rains of Fishes | Natural History MagazineNatural History Magazine Rains of Fishes | Natural History Magazine
That restraint is one reason historians and Fortean writers continue to cite the incident. The account reads less like a ghost story than a puzzled field observation.
Walking Catfish and Flood Explanations
The species matters because walking catfish are unusually well suited to creating confusing situations after heavy rain.
Common walking catfish (Clarias batrachus) are capable of breathing atmospheric air for extended periods and can travel across damp ground between ponds and flooded ditches. They are native to the region and remain part of Singapore’s freshwater fauna.[Gov]nparks.gov.sgDefault Freshwater FishesDefaultFreshwater FishesSeptember 24, 2024…
That ability creates a straightforward alternative explanation. During extreme tropical rainfall:
- ponds and drains overflow;
- fish escape into flooded ground;
- walking catfish actively crawl across wet surfaces;
- as floodwater recedes, they become stranded in isolated puddles.
Someone arriving after the rain could reasonably conclude that the fish had appeared from nowhere rather than migrated overland. This explanation has become one of the leading sceptical interpretations of the Singapore case.[Wikipedia]WikipediaRain of animalsRain of animals
However, Castelnau believed at least some observations resisted this interpretation. His strongest point was not the pools themselves but the fish inside a courtyard enclosed by walls. If remembered accurately, that detail is harder to explain through ordinary surface flooding, although it remains impossible to reconstruct the precise layout of the property or the severity of the flooding after more than a century and a half.[Natural History Magazine]naturalhistorymag.comNatural History Magazine Rains of Fishes | Natural History MagazineNatural History Magazine Rains of Fishes | Natural History Magazine
Did Fish Actually Fall from the Sky?
The alternative explanation is the one Castelnau himself proposed: a waterspout.
A waterspout is a rotating column of air over water. Under the right conditions it can lift spray, vegetation and small aquatic animals. If the vortex weakens inland, the material may fall back to the ground some distance away. Modern meteorologists regard this as the most plausible mechanism behind at least some well-documented reports of fish and frog rains, although proving any individual historical case is usually impossible.[Natural History Magazine]naturalhistorymag.comNatural History Magazine Rains of Fishes | Natural History MagazineNatural History Magazine Rains of Fishes | Natural History Magazine
The Singapore report contains several features that fit the waterspout idea:
- the fish appeared after exceptionally heavy rain;
- they were concentrated within a limited area;
- they were reportedly alive;
- the witness himself connected the event with violent weather rather than miracle or magic.[Natural History Magazine]naturalhistorymag.comNatural History Magazine Rains of Fishes | Natural History MagazineNatural History Magazine Rains of Fishes | Natural History Magazine
Yet the evidence is incomplete. No observer reported actually seeing fish descending through the air. Instead, people found fish after the storm. That leaves room for more than one explanation.
How Strong Is the Evidence?
Compared with many famous Fortean stories, the Singapore fish rain is unusually well documented, but it is not beyond criticism.
The strongest points in its favour include:
- A named observer. Castelnau was an established naturalist whose professional work involved identifying animals rather than repeating folklore.
- A recognisable species. He identified the fish as walking catfish rather than simply calling them “fish”.
- Specific circumstances. The account gives dates, weather conditions and an estimated area rather than vague recollections.
- Contemporary circulation. Versions of the report appeared in nineteenth-century scientific and natural-history publications instead of surviving only through later paranormal books.[Natural History Magazine]naturalhistorymag.comNatural History Magazine Rains of Fishes | Natural History MagazineNatural History Magazine Rains of Fishes | Natural History Magazine
The weaknesses are equally important:
- there is effectively one principal eyewitness narrative;
- no surviving photographs or physical specimens exist;
- later writers depend heavily on Castelnau’s account rather than independent investigations;
- alternative explanations involving flooding cannot now be tested directly.[Natural History Magazine]naturalhistorymag.comNatural History Magazine Rains of Fishes | Natural History MagazineNatural History Magazine Rains of Fishes | Natural History Magazine
For historians, this places the incident in an interesting middle ground. It is considerably stronger than an anonymous rumour, yet falls well short of modern scientific documentation.
Why Animal Rains Stay Fortean
Animal rains have fascinated people for centuries because they seem to blur the boundary between ordinary weather and apparent impossibility. Most historical reports involve fish, frogs or other small aquatic creatures appearing after storms.
The Singapore case has become one of the classic examples because it combines three elements that rarely occur together:
- an educated observer with scientific training;
- a species whose behaviour offers both a mystery and a possible solution;
- an explanation proposed by the witness that was natural rather than supernatural.[Natural History Magazine]naturalhistorymag.comNatural History Magazine Rains of Fishes | Natural History MagazineNatural History Magazine Rains of Fishes | Natural History Magazine
That combination makes the event valuable even if it is eventually explained entirely by meteorology or animal behaviour. It illustrates how extraordinary natural events can become part of a country’s strange-history tradition without requiring belief in the paranormal.
Within Singapore’s wider Fortean landscape, the fish rain occupies a distinctive place. Unlike ghost legends or modern urban myths, it revolves around a tangible natural event that can be debated using eyewitness testimony, biology and weather science. The mystery survives not because the evidence proves fish fell from the clouds, but because the surviving evidence is just strong enough to keep the question open.
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Endnotes
1.
Source: naturalhistorymag.com
Title: Natural History Magazine Rains of Fishes | Natural History Magazine
Link:https://naturalhistorymag.com/picks-from-the-past/271577/rains-of-fishes?page=6
2.
Source: nparks.gov.sg
Title: Default Freshwater Fishes
Link:https://www.nparks.gov.sg/nature/species-list/freshwater-fishes
Source snippet
DefaultFreshwater FishesSeptember 24, 2024...
Published: September 24, 2024
3.
Source: Wikipedia
Title: Rain of animals
Link:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rain_of_animals
4.
Source: naturalhistorymag.com
Title: Natural History Magazine Rains of Fishes | Natural History Magazine
Link:https://naturalhistorymag.com/picks-from-the-past/271577/rains-of-fishes?page=8
5.
Source: biblioasia.nlb.gov.sg
Link:https://biblioasia.nlb.gov.sg/all-sections/vol-17-issue-4-jan-mar-2022-diard-duvaucel-natural-history-drawings-of-singapore-and-southeast-asia/
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Impressions: 19th-Century Natural History Drawings of Singapore and Southeast Asia | BiblioAsiaJanuary 1, 2022 — FRENCH IMPRESSIONS: 19TH...
Published: January 1, 2022
6.
Source: nparks.gov.sg
Link:https://www.nparks.gov.sg/FloraFaunaWeb/Fauna/8/9/897
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897August 21, 2019 — CLARIAS BATRACHUS * * Who We Are * * How to Use * How to use Advanced Search * * Resources * Field Guides * Comparis...
Published: August 21, 2019
8.
Source: naturalhistorymag.com
Title: W. Gudger Furthermore, the fishes might ha
Link:https://naturalhistorymag.com/picks-from-the-past/271577/rains-of-fishes?page=9
Source snippet
Rains of Fishes | Natural History MagazinePicks from the Past: November–December 1921 Print Email RAINS OF FISHES A COMPILATION OF THE EV...
Published: December 1921
9.
Source: naturalhistorymag.com
Title: W. Gudger He states that concerning the ph
Link:https://naturalhistorymag.com/picks-from-the-past/271577/rains-of-fishes?page=4
Source snippet
Rains of Fishes | Natural History MagazinePicks from the Past: November–December 1921 Print Email RAINS OF FISHES A COMPILATION OF THE EV...
Published: December 1921
10.
Source: naturalhistorymag.com
Title: W. Gudger In a later number of the same jo
Link:https://naturalhistorymag.com/picks-from-the-past/271577/rains-of-fishes?page=2
Source snippet
Rains of Fishes | Natural History MagazinePicks from the Past: November–December 1921 Print Email RAINS OF FISHES A COMPILATION OF THE EV...
Published: December 1921
11.
Source: biodiversitylibrary.org
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Learn more. Download Contents Close Dialog DOWNLOAD BOOK * * * Download PDF Download All Download JPEG 2000 Download Text The Annals and...
12.
Source: biodiversitylibrary.org
Link:https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/15602295
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ser.3:v.8=no.43-48 (1861) - The Annals and magazine of natural history - Biodiversity Heritage LibraryAll titles related to this item The...
13.
Source: sciencedirect.com
Title: Clarias batrachus
Link:https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/agricultural-and-biological-sciences/clarias-batrachus
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Chapter ORIGIN OF THE EPIZOOTIC ULCERATIVE SYNDROME PROBLEM 2016, Epizootic Ulcerative Fish Disease Syndro...
14.
Source: naturalhistorymag.com
Title: W. Gudger There is now to be given the bri
Link:https://naturalhistorymag.com/picks-from-the-past/271577/rains-of-fishes?page=5
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Rains of Fishes | Natural History MagazineNovember 1, 1921 — Picks from the Past: November–December 1921 Print Email RAINS OF FISHES A CO...
Published: November 1, 1921
15.
Source: youtube.com
Title: Raining Animals | The True Story of Frogs and Fish Falling from the Sky 🐸🐟
Link:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eZY8vTBIZIM
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Walking Catfish...
16.
Source: youtube.com
Title: Walking Catfish
Link:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bhT1NLNoz4Q
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Fish rain raining fish phenomenon animal rain explained Fishes Rain From The Sky! 🤯 Infinitix...
Additional References
17.
Source: researchgate.net
Link:https://www.researchgate.net/publication/267295385_Castelnau%27s_collection_of_singapore_fishes_described_by_Pieter_Bleeker
Source snippet
(PDF) Castelnau's collection of singapore fishes described by Pieter BleekerArticle PDF Available CASTELNAU'S COLLECTION OF SINGAPORE FIS...
18.
Source: guinnessworldrecords.com
Link:https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/780415-most-common-type-of-animal-rain
Source snippet
Most common type of animal rain | Guinness World RecordsMOST COMMON TYPE OF ANIMAL RAIN Image: Most common type of animal rain Who Fish W...
19.
Source: researchgate.net
Link:https://www.researchgate.net/publication/259634261_The_tables_are_turned_An_invasive_species_under_potential_threat
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21.
Source: fishbase.org
Title: Google image * Clarias batrachus Picture by Ramani Shirantha * Clarias batrach
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Clarias batrachus summary pageJuly 20, 2016 — CLARIAS BATRACHUS (LINNAEUS, 1758) Philippine catfish Upload your photos and videos Picture...
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Source: smithsonianmag.com
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