Dr Beachcombing wrote:
"I'm very curious about the following entry and I wondered whether you'd ever seen it: the truth is I've worried about it for years and I hope to have at least a workable theory before I die. I've got in touch with a couple of cryptozoologists including yourself. Let me know if you have an expert opinion I can put up with a link back to your site for my readers".
http://www.strangehistory.net/2011/07/10/mid-atlantic-frogs/
Mackerel would be my first thought, hitting shoals of baitfish on the surface. This can be a very violent episode, with fish thrashing the surface of the sea. The water literally explodes in front of you! However, mackerel are common enough around Ireland to be easily recognised by the monks.
ReplyDeleteAll the other fish species found in the North Atlantic, that are inclined to display similar behaviour, are also found around Ireland.
One other possibility could be Tuna. They do migrate as far north as Iceland, and are occasionally caught commercially from Icelandic waters. During the time of the monks journey, I would imagine the shoals to be of a far greater size and have a wider distribution.