• Question: Why don't the fish die when lightning strikes the sea?

    Asked by GingerBiscuit to David, Eva, Kate, Nicholas, Rachel on 9 Nov 2015.
    • Photo: Rachel McMullan

      Rachel McMullan answered on 9 Nov 2015:

      I’m not an expert on this but here’s what I think.
      Lightning is a flash of electricity. Water can conduct electricity so when lightning hits the water it spreads out and dissipates. Some fish very close to the lightning might be killed but most will be too far away to be affected.

    • Photo: Nicholas Pearce

      Nicholas Pearce answered on 10 Nov 2015:

      Hey,

      Fish that happened to be close to the place where the lightning struck would die. Fortunately, most of the fish live quite deep down, and the lightning spreads out and loses intensity by the time it gets deep enough to reach the fish, so they probably only feel a little tingle.

    • Photo: David Nunan

      David Nunan answered on 10 Nov 2015:

      I think it’s because they are too deep for it too affect them.
      But if it hits your pond and there are fish in their then I think their fried!

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