Sailfish: The Lamborghini Of The Marine World

For the most part, even on dedicated wildlife cruises, the ordinary person's exploration of the natural world is constrained to the surface of the oceans and landscapes. But thanks to the stellar documentaries of eminent naturalist, Sir David Attenborough, we've been able to enjoy the spectacle of the most astonishing animal behaviour in the comfort of our own homes.

In his latest masterpiece, Blue Planet II, Sir David Attenborough and his team use sophisticated hi-tech camera equipment to capture never-before-seen intimate underwater vision of a host of marine animals. One of the most memorable sequences from the series was captured in the waters off Costa Rica (an excellent place for wildlife cruises), recording a feeding frenzy involving the fastest fish in the world: the sailfish.  

Master Hunters

In Episode 4 of "The Big Blue" in the Blue Planet II series, the team captured the so-called "boiling sea". In this phenomenon, predators of the ocean – including dolphins, tuna and sailfish – come together and charge a school of lanternfish in a savage feeding frenzy that turns the sea white.

The sailfish belongs to the billfish genus Istiophorus and can be found in the warm and temperate parts of every ocean on the planet. Their distinctive appearance makes them instantly recognisable, with their most notable features their massive dorsal fin and sharp elongated bill. They can reach up to three metres in length, growing to half that in the first 12 months of their life.

It's when they're feeding that these master hunters show their true colours – and a range of them at that. Their "sail", which normally sits folded against their back, raises to its full height when they're in hunting mode. These streamlined fish can reach speeds of up to 68mph, easily earning them their status as the fastest fish in the sea.

They hunt as a collective (up to 100 at a time, as seen in the Blue Planet II footage, although this many is rare), working together to herd a school of prey fish. Their huge dorsal fin is raised to its full extension and, as they dart and surge, closing in around the school, their colours change in quick succession from blue to striped to black. This colour change confuses their prey and, with so many of them moving at such speed, also serves as a warning system so they don’t risk being pierced by one of their companion's bills. As the smaller fish are driven to the surface of the ocean the sailfish strike, using the small teeth on their bill to make their kill.

These canny fish only expend the exact amount of effort required to make their kill, not wasting so much as a single fin stroke, but as their high-energy existence requires them to hunt and feed every day, their entire life is spent on the move.

Discover the Our Magical Marine World

While watching a documentary like Blue Planet II provides a macro view into the fascinating world beneath the sea,wildlife cruises open up the secrets of the oceans, waterways and remote archipelagos in a real-life way that has not previously been possible. For nature lovers who travel to exotic destinations hoping to encounter a wealth of marine and terrestrial animals, professional wildlife cruises are the most effective way of ensuring multiple sightings of a vast range of species in their natural habitat.

Author Plate

Marissa Ellis-Snow is a freelance nature writer with a special interest in marine species. For nature lovers interested in dedicated wildlife cruises, Marissa recommends the tours organised by Naturetrek, which have brought her unforgettable sightings of a wide range of species in one of the most spectacular regions on Earth.