The Amazing Stuff

For Redditor QuantumFractal and his girlfriend, one of the worst days of their lives was when their fish Watson passed away. A faithful and beloved member of the family, instead of simply flushing him down the toilet, Watson’s owners decided that something more had to be done.

That’s when they came up with the idea of giving Watson a Viking funeral. A traditional way to honor the dead in pre-historic times, they knew that it would serve as a fitting monument to his life.

If there’s one fish deserving of such a tribute, it’s Watson.

They knew that he was worth all the trouble that went into preparations.

First, they created a Viking ship for him.

After they loaded Watson up, they headed to a nearby pond to begin the ceremony.

And in Viking tradition, they set the ship ablaze.

These swans seem like they were intrigued by the process, too.

Recognizing the significance of the event, they escorted Watson to the halls of Valhalla.

Goodnight, sweet fish. They may have left a few details out, but something tells me that Watson appreciated the effort all the same.

To say that makeup artist Elya Bulochka has unique taste is an understatement. Seeing her work more as art than fashion, Bulochka does things that no one’s ever seen…and she just posted photos on her Instagram page of models with dead fish on their faces. Millions of people have now seen her work.

But was it worth it? After killing a number of fish, critics are abuzz with arguments against her creations. Check them out for yourself and tell us what you think.

Using a variety of fish, Bulochka creates bizarre makeup looks with a cringeworthy edge.

A photo posted by Эля Булочка (@elya_bulochka) on Nov 28, 2015 at 9:32am PST

Her goal? To make her models look like mermaids.

A photo posted by Эля Булочка (@elya_bulochka) on Nov 28, 2015 at 12:01pm PST

But anyone who’s familiar with Ariel knows that this doesn’t look right…

A photo posted by Эля Булочка (@elya_bulochka) on Nov 29, 2015 at 3:05am PST

And this “sea foam” seems a little questionable.

A photo posted by Эля Булочка (@elya_bulochka) on Dec 4, 2015 at 8:37am PST

But fish aren’t the only things that she’s used to achieve cosmetic notoriety.

A photo posted by Эля Булочка (@elya_bulochka) on Dec 4, 2015 at 8:39am PST

Because she also likes to work with bugs…especially live ones.

A photo posted by Эля Булочка (@elya_bulochka) on Dec 3, 2015 at 6:21am PST

Just imagine these things crawling around on your face.

A photo posted by Эля Булочка (@elya_bulochka) on Nov 15, 2015 at 6:12am PST

Actually, you don’t have to. You can just watch this instead!

A video posted by Эля Булочка (@elya_bulochka) on Nov 28, 2015 at 10:45am PST

A publicity stunt, or true art? You be the judge. This might be cool in Russia, but in the U.S.? We’re not so sure. Sound off in the comments below.

If you really want to see a cat’s eyes light up, just give them a good whiff of some fresh fish. Their little brain goes nuts for the seafood delight.

Unfortunately for this feline duo, they can’t quite get their paws on the fish they found under frozen water. Not for lack of (adorable) trying, of course. Alas, their silly attempts are no match for the water’s protective shield of ice.

“Follow me, dude, I see lunch!”

“Be careful, you don’t want to spook it.”

“Gotcha!”

“Wait, why don’t I gotcha?”

“Why isn’t this working???”

“Hey, this is harder than it looks!”

“Ugh, whatever, I wasn’t that hungry anyway.”

Sorry, fuzzballs. Maybe you’ll have better luck just raiding the grocery store tuna. But you totally get an A for effort.

We’ve said it before, but we’ll say it again: fish are actually really cute, affectionate, and sometimes even smart pets.

Then again, there are always exceptions to the rule…like these hilarious little fish who aren’t exactly the smartest scaly guys in the fish tank. But still, their silly habits remind us of our cute kittens…

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Dory…is that you?!

When you go fishing, there are bound to be a few surprises. After all, you never know what you’re going to catch. But when these two men went fishing in Siberia, the surprise that they encountered had nothing to do with the water.

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Okay, I didn’t even know that camels lived in Siberia. Maybe it just wanted some fishing buddies! In any case, this is something that these fishermen won’t soon forget.

Remember the scene in Return of the Jedi where Boba Fett is swallowed by the sarlacc pit? By the looks of these photos, it wouldn’t surprise me if George Lucas was inspired by the Northern Stargazer fish.

It may look like a horror that existed a long, long time ago in a galaxy far away, but this thing is alive and well right now…and it lives just off the coast of the United States.

Meet the Northern Stargazer — a two-foot-long fish that likes to hang out on the ocean floor like this.

That’s not a good look.

As you can see, its face sits at the top of its head — and not even the fish itself is comfortable with it.

This creepy design makes it easier for the fish to hide from prey.

If you live in the eastern U.S., watch your step when you visit the beach.

This could also be a photo of me in bed on the weekend.

As if its appearance wasn’t horrible enough, it uses electric shocks to stun its prey.

The sarlacc pit was big enough to swallow several of Jabba’s men in a single, thousand-year-long gulp. The Northern Stargazer, on the other hand, is about the size of two Subway sandwiches. But as far as I’m concerned, this is the most terrifying creature in our galaxy.

Looking at the delicately colored prints of artist Heather Fortner, you’re probably pretty impressed by the extreme realism of her work. Each scale, fin, and spine of the fish she creates is rendered with perfect detail and proportion, but the images still manage to be light and airy.

So how does she do it?

Well, you might not believe this, but the Oregon-based artist gets up close and personal with her subjects.

In fact, you could say that they even help her. That’s because Fortner uses actual fish to create these prints.

The practice of making prints with real fish comes from Japan, where it’s called gyotaku, which literally translates to “fish rubbing.” Fishermen would once keep ink and paper aboard their ships and use them to make records of the fish they caught that day. The records were totally accurate, which made them perfect for keeping track of fish population trends — and for judging fishing contests.

There are two ways of doing this. The direct method calls for ink to be applied right to the fish’s body. The fish’s body is then pressed against paper. The indirect method involves pressing paper to the fish, and then rubbing color over the paper, similar to the way people make rubbings from tombstones.

Here’s a fish mid-print. The detail is pretty amazing.

And since we know you guys are concerned about the welfare of animals, Fortner does not kill any fish to create her pieces.

Instead, she finds dead fish that have washed up on the shore near her home.

After using their bodies, she cleans them off and buries them in her yard to serve as fertilizer.

The fish can be used more than once, which is why you often see multiple prints of the same one.

This piece is a prime example.

Handling a dead fish to create art might seem a little gross, but Fortner sees her work as a way to connect humans to the sea. By looking at these pieces, which were created with the actual bodies of our fellow creatures, we’re reminded of the complexity, beauty, and fragility of life.

For her part, Fortner hopes that her paintings will remind viewers that fish are delicate creatures that hang in the balance. The way we treat the planet often affects our aquatic friends first.

(via My Modern Met)

You can see more of Fortner’s work on her website, where you can check out different examples of fish from all over the world. Follow her on Facebook to keep up with her latest projects!

When you think of the world’s most terrifying fish, you probably think of sharks, right? Well, I regret to inform you that the world’s scariest fish is actually the bloodsucking lamprey. The lamprey can be found all over the world, but over the years, populations in England have plummeted.

While some might call that a victory, the English see it as a tragedy. Lampreys were once an English delicacy. Unfortunately, outside factors like pollution have taken a toll on these critters. With the help of environmentalists, however, the species is making its way back to the region.

Lampreys are among the oldest vertebrate creatures in the world.

Evidence suggests that they’ve been lurking around in our waters since before the dinosaurs even showed up.

With the Industrial Revolution came devastating pollution, and fish populations suffered as a result.

That’s why the lamprey disappeared from English dinner tables for almost two centuries.

But now, they’re making a comeback.

Just to give you an idea of how important these fish used to be in England, it’s said that King Henry I died after gorging himself on fresh lamprey.

They have English conservationists to thank for their miraculous return.

But if you’re eager to get out there and catch your own English lamprey, we have some bad news. They are currently listed as a protected species in England, and fishing for them could result in jail time.

(via The Daily Telegraph)

I’m not one to buy into stereotypes, but I will say that traditional English food is pretty terrible. That’s why it’s completely unsurprising to learn that these folks just love a good lamprey supper.

I had no idea just how accurate cartoons were at depicting a cat’s love for fish until I tried eating a tuna sandwich around my own feisty feline. The little guy wouldn’t stop begging until I finally gave him his own nibble.

Yet this sweet kitty apparently marches to the beat of his own drum. He’d rather be best friends with the koi fish he meets than ever think of harming them.

I think it’s safe to say that this adorable fluffball is totally smitten with his new finned friends.

We all know how sweet, loving, and adorable our dog and cat friends can be, but if you’re limiting yourself to them, you’re missing out on (literally) a whole world of cute.

These critters might not be the first thing you think of when the word “cute” comes to mind, but maybe they should be at least the second. Prepare to fall in love.

Sadly, not all of these sweethearts are suited to live with us in our homes, but we can still admire their super-cute faces from afar!

Check out more unexpectedly adorable animals in the links below: