There was an interesting story from Japan this week. An aquarium in Yamaguchi has had to temporarily shut for renovations. After it closed and visitors stopped coming, staff noticed that one of the sunfish seemed to be distressed. It stopped eating jellyfish and started rubbing itself against the walls of its tank.
The aquarium staff decided that the sunfish might be feeling lonely, since it was used to people standing in front of its tank. So the staff brought some cardboard cut-outs of humans and placed them in front of the sunfish’s tank. Apparently, this worked. The sunfish is eating again.
Celebrities can’t help but feel lonely without their fans. They can also be prone to diva-like behaviour, making unreasonable demands on those around them, and expecting all of their whims to be gratified.
I wondered what other problems that diva sealife in aquariums have been causing for their human handlers. So I checked the internet for rumors.
Apparently, there is a shark in Germany that won’t eat unless his teeth are flossed by a blonde female handler twice a day.
It is rumored that in Osaka, one octopus won’t eat unless he is allowed to play his Nintendo Switch for half an hour before mealtimes.
And in Los Angeles, there is supposedly a killer whale that will only perform jumps and tricks after a pina colada.
Well, you shouldn’t believe everything that
you read on the internet. But the
sunfish story was reported in the Mainichi Shimbun. So that one is true.
Vocabulary:
a diva – (most often used about female
celebrities) – a self-important person who is demanding and difficult to please
[eg., That diva demanded that a selection
of flowers should be presented to her after every concert, but that none of the
flowers must be pink or blue.]
a whim – a sudden desire or change of mind,
especially one that is unusual or unexplained
[eg., I don’t know why I decided to eat sushi tonight. It was just a whim.]
to gratify (a desire, whim, wish, etc.) –
to satisfy
[eg., Parents must say no to their children
sometimes. Not all of a child’s wishes
for new toys and presents can be gratified.]
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