40-year-old Rex Colubra, an avid scuba diver, claims to have formed an unlikely yet special friendship with a wild fish, a friendship that crosses the barrier between species. This extraordinary kinship has drawn attention from all over, serving as a unique example of the emotional capacity that resides in all of God’s creations.
In a Wisconsin lake, where Rex often explores underwater life, a bond sparked between him and a fish he would eventually name Elvis. “It was like any other dive. I was checking out a new spot and all these fish were coming up to me,” recalls Rex, speaking of that fateful day in September 2021. There was one fish, however, that seemed to display a different level of curiosity, one that didn’t flee like the others but remained close.
Two weeks later, Rex returned to the same lake and discovered the same fish approaching him. This fish, Rex recognized, had a distinctive scar on its face. The diver recounts, “I noticed one was sticking closer than the rest. He wasn’t scared even when I got out. He stuck close to the surface in the shallows.”
Love Fostered Underwater
Rex shares that it was during that second encounter that he extended a gesture of friendship by feeding Elvis some crawfish. After that, a strange but heartwarming camaraderie bloomed, “Now, he’s completely obsessed with me. He follows me around and just stares me in the eyes,” says Rex.
Every year since that first meeting, Rex returns to the same Wisconsin lake. He has found a unique way of reconnecting with Elvis each time. With a particular sound he generates by gulping and grunting with his throat, Rex calls out for his aquatic buddy who invariably finds him. “I will do a gulping grunt sound with my throat and he’ll come find me,” he reveals.
A Relationship Caught on Camera
There is a nearly four-and-a-half-minute video on YouTube that chronicles one of their extraordinary reunions. It shows Rex navigating the water with Elvis following him closely, sometimes getting mere inches away from his human companion.
This extraordinary story illustrates a deep bond that has developed between a man and a fish, breaking down conventional beliefs about the emotional intelligence of our fellow creatures.
Protecting a Friend from Harm
To protect his friend from potential threats, Rex has chosen not to disclose the exact location of the lake, mindful of the dangers that fishing could pose to Elvis. Rex candidly confesses his concerns for Elvis and the fears he has faced when he struggled to find Elvis during their annual reunion.
Rex, who has openly expressed his disapproval of sport fishing, said, “Of course, I would be sad if he had been caught. He’s my friend.”
This touching story is a powerful testament to the depths of emotions that our fellow creatures can harbor and a demonstration of the sacredness of all life forms. As we journey through our lives, may we strive to appreciate and respect all God’s creations, for they too hold a place in the grand design.
“Ask the beasts, and they will teach you; the birds of the heavens, and they will tell you; or the bushes of the earth, and they will teach you; and the fish of the sea will declare to you. Who among all these does not know that the hand of the LORD has done this?” – Job 12:7-9
