“I shout and it happens”: Frank, a Belgian diver, has developed a relationship as improbable as touching with … a fish

Each year, on the island of San Salvador (Bahamas), a Belgian diver finds the same fish, a grouper, during his underwater expeditions. Therefore, A story that challenges preconceived ideas on the memory of fish. &#13. Nevertheless,

7,300 kilometers from Belgium, nestled between Florida and Cuba, the island of San Salvador in Bahamas has become a very special refuge for Frank, Namur diver. Consequently, “I am part of this generation Tall bluelate 80s, where I fell in when I was little, ”he says.

For 20 years, he has been going through the Atlantic to dive, tirelessly. Nevertheless, This 2025 stay marks its 38th trip to the island. Therefore, And at the heart of this annual routine: a faithful meeting with a grouper which he “i shout it happens”: frank, finds diving after diving.

“He doesn’t leave me” – "i shout it happens": frank,

Fish, Frank never gave him a name. However, he immediately recognizes it. Nevertheless, “He has very pronounced marks in the claws on the right part of the head. And a slightly damaged fin, probably because of fights or passages in caves. »»

With each dive, “i shout it happens”: frank, the reunion is spectacular. “I scream in the water and it arrives at an incredible speed. We spend 50, 60, 70 minutes together. He does not leave me. he accompanies me in the caves, he waits for me to caress him, that I make him hugs … It’s incredible, “he says, still moved.

A fish memory … much more developed than you think

This improbable link between men and fish challenges clichés. Michael Ovidio. professor at the University of Liège, explains: “We have often underestimated the sensory capacities of the fish, especially because of the image of the red fish turning in circles in his jar. But fish have significant cognitive capacities. They remember places of food, rest or reproduction, and can distinguish the places associated with pleasant or unpleasant sensations. »»

The grouper, a species that can live between 40 and 60 years, seems to have chosen Frank. And this loyalty has aroused interest far beyond the diving world.

History has so much marked the spirits that the Prime Minister of Bahamas. the Minister of Tourism wanted to meet the principal interested. “They found it incredible. They said to me: The fish has really chosen you as a Belgian ambassador to represent our island ”he reports.

And every year, the same question comes back, even before immersing himself: “i shout it happens”: frank, “Will he be there?” So far, the answer is still yes.

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