19. A Weird "Face"
Forget about loyal dogs today and check out this fish that has been coming to meet her friend, the diver who saved her life thirty years ago! Scientists were baffled to see this story, as they not long ago thought that fish are not creatures that show social behavior…
18. Fish Have Feelings
The conception that fish don’t have feelings got revised recently when scientists found that fish are more social and smarter than they thought. But the local diver named Hiroyuki Arakawa already knew it after meeting a special fish three decades ago!
17. Caring for the Shrine
Hiroyuki Arakawa was entrusted to take care of the underwater shrine since he was only 18 years old. He would put on his suit every day and dive to clean the shrine and guide others who wanted to visit it. One day, he saw something bizarre…
16. Asian Sheepshead Wrasse
During his time underwater, he became acquainted with the fish species that lived close to the shrine, including this weird looking fish that is an Asian sheepshead wrasse. At first, Hiroyuki thought that the creature looked odd!
15. A Human Face
“If you look closely, from the front, they look like they have a human face,” he explained in the video taken by Great Big Story. The wrasse he found that day was injured and looked exhausted, so Hiroyuki thought that it would need food to regain its strength…
14. Helping Her to Bounce Back
“I think anyone can get an animal’s attention by feeding them,” said the old diver. He took care of the fish who received the name Yoriko. It was a female fish and was happy to eat her five crabs on the first day. Then, the next day Hiroyuki dived again at their spot.
13. Ringing the Bell
The diver always carried with him tools to clean the shrine, and when he would tap the structure, it would ring and make noises underwater. Yoriko immediately swam towards the diver, waiting for her meal. Ten days passed…
12. A Proud Man
Hiroyuki is proud of his kind deed that ended in making a friend for life without him even expecting anything in return. But it all seemed like the fish was not just happy for the free food! She loved keeping him company!
11. She Knows He Saved Her
“I guess she knows that I saved her, that I helped her when she was badly injured,” thought Hiroyuki while preparing to dive again, and again, almost thirty years later! When the man takes off his mask, the most amazing thing happens!
10. A Sweet Kiss
Respect and trust made this friendship last almost thirty years, and Hiroyuki’s story reached the hearts of millions of people who saw the two swimming side by side. Meanwhile, the other fish around them scoot away. Hiroyuki’s as baffled as we are about his friend, but knows one thing is true…
9. Yoriko Knows Her Friend
“I’d say we understand each other. Not that we can talk to each other but, it just happened naturally,” said the diver, who thinks that Yoriko looks like a human face and knows for sure that she recognizes him and knows when she is visited by another diver!
8. Hiroyuki’s Sweet Habit
Every time Hiroyuki visits the shrine, he meets Yoriko, takes off his mask and plants a kiss on her forehead. His wrasse friend always comes as she hears him ringing the bell at the shrine…
7. Keeping Company
Think of this fish as your best friend, a cuddler, and a companion underwater. It sounds like a dog, and by the look on her face, it surely is as curious as a pooch! Meanwhile, the diver is proud that he has a place in Yoriko’s heart!
6. A Long Friendship
“I kissed her once. But I’m the only person she will let do it,” he explained in front of the cameras while looking towards the sea. We only need to look at the 30-year long friendship to see the proof that a human and a fish can be best friends.
5. He Feels Accomplished
Thinking of his long and odd friendship, Hiroyuki said: “I have an amazing sense of accomplishment in my heart.” He has no idea if another wrasse – or kobudai, as they call the fish species, are as friendly as Yoriko, but he is thankful for the honor of being his friend.
4. Trust and Love
Hiroyuki thinks that his friend trusts him, and over the past decades, Yoriko’s attachment to the person that saved her life grew stronger. This bond between a man and a wild animal is something we can all learn from!
3. How to Treat Animals?
We should all treat animals just like we would treat a human. No matter their species, all animals deserve to live and need some help when they are in trouble…
2. Spreading a Heartwarming Story
Hiroyuki’s bond with Yoriko must become a bedtime story, or even a movie because it is an inspiration and a lesson to all of us, teaching us kindness and respect.
1. The Unlikely Friends
We have never heard of people bonding with fish until Hiroyuki’s unlikely friendship, and we must say that this man is a role model for all of us! We hope he and Yoriko will live long lives and continue to meet underwater!
