Fish Day
See These Pages Too!
Fish Day Home
History
Myths
Links
|
|
Portrait of an Explorer --
Dr. Edward Flortan
Dr. Edward Flortan, a researcher from the University of Michigan at Alpena,
has spent the better part of 30 years on the study of the true lives of fish
(and another 30 on the lies trees tell each other). The early part of his
self-education came from reading tabloid news stories and watching Japanese
horror films.
But in 1988, he was introduced to a wahoo named Shell at a 20th anniversary of
the Chicago Democratic Convention Riots cocktail party. Shell, an amicable and
well-read member of the mackerel family who had swum by himself in a corner of
the room all night, spoke to Dr. Flortan in a language he can only describe as
Esperanto. Shell told the doctor several wondrous stories of fishdom (and also
of things he's built out of celery), and the doctor was sold. "Can I come live
with you?" he asked the mighty wahoo. "Hell no," answered Shell, who despised
freeloaders.
But about a week later, Dr. Flortan met a bluegill who had a spare bedroom,
and the rest is history.
An interesting postscript: Dr. Edward Flortan, who declined to be photographed
for the Web site, is now beginning a 12-year adventure living with a stand of
mangroves in the British West Indies. He has a 5-year old son named Larry and
a dog named Don't Eat Those, They're My Friends!
|