Tiny Skydiving Fish In Utah Upset The Twitter Universe: Watch

The approved method for restocking Utah’s high-mountain lakes with trout is causing a stir on social media, and some people worry the fish are harmed when they are dropped from an airplane like tiny gilled skydivers. No worries, state officials say, the fish survive the fall — well, at least 95 percent of them do.

The Utah Division of Wildlife Resources posted a video on Twitter explaining how it restocked about 70 lakes in the Loa/Boulder Mountain area. A video camera mounted on the bottom of the plane shows water and little fish gushing out of the aircraft into clear blue lake below — much to the horror of some in the Twitter universe.

What about the other 5 percent, some Twitter users wondered. “Weeeeeeeeeree — splat!” someone commented. Another asked: Why not restock from the ground so they have a better chance to survive?

“Transporting the fish by ground takes a lot longer and, it's much more stressful on the fish,” the DWR replied. “The survival rate is much higher from the air — usually between 95–99 percent.”

“How does one study the survival rate for free fall fish into a large lake to determine a survival rate?” someone commented. “Sounds hard.”

The DWR went on to explain that fish aren’t hurt when they’re dumped from the airplane because of their small size — they’re anywhere between 1 and 3 inches long.

“Think of it as a high diver diving into a deep pool of water,” the agency said.

Someone else wondered about the state of the ecosystems of the lakes and if the DWR was restoring native species.

“These are high-mountain fisheries,” the agency replied. “People who are hiking and camping often enjoy fishing during their trips. We stock these lakes to provide fishing opportunities for the public.”

Others just enjoyed the show. One Twitter user described the video as “mesmerizing” and said the DWR could drop fish over her house any time. “Mind blown,” someone else commented. “Wild and awesome.” Some of the jokes practically wrote themselves, including this reference to a classic episode from the ‘80s sitcom “WKRP in Cincinnati”:

Photo and video via Utah Department of Wildlife