A Disturbing Wall Of Frozen Fish Spotted On Lake Andes

A school of dead fish was seen suspended inside a frozen wall of ice at South Dakota's Lake Andes. It is a very strange thing to see the wall of frozen dead fish.

Kelly Preheim, a kindergarten teacher and photographer, captured the photo back in March 2015. She blamed the phenomenon to a lack of oxygen in the lake. The photo was shared on the Facebook page of the Fish and Wildlife Service National Wildlife Refuge System last month.

The Story Behind A Spooky Photo Of Fish Frozen In Wall Of Ice pic.twitter.com/VL4GEuVhUg……… pic.twitter.com/ERLHHHFQb9 https://t.co/QbckGmlVPE pic.twitter.com/Nf62EZFSkl

— Richard Doyle (@TheRichardDoyle) January 15, 2017

So, why does the fish get stuck in ice? Preheim explained that when thick ice forms on a lake's surface, it blocks out the Sun and the algae/plants do not photosynthesize and produce oxygen, thus depleting oxygen levels. She further explained that if the aquatic plants and algae subsequently die and decompose, this also uses oxygen, further depleting levels, so the fish essentially suffocate from lack of oxygen.

The fish died and floated in the waters. Preheim theorized that when the weather turned even colder, the ice expanded, pushing it toward the shore where it buckled and went vertical. Another theory is that it may have been driven there by very strong winds. She added that it was quite a sight and it smelled very fishy out there for quite a while, according to Grind TV.

On the other hand, this sight and incident would not be in vain. The fish would be a good catch for bald eagles though it is quite disturbing and moving to see the dead fish in the frozen wall of ice. Meanwhile, Preheim said that about hundreds of bald eagles, American crows and gulls feasted on the thousands of frozen fish on Lake Andes, according to Huffington Post.