The phenomenon of various objects falling from the sky is hardly new. The people of Yoro, Honduras, for example, celebrate ‘lluvia de peces’. Literally meaning “rain of fish”, the phenomenon occurs yearly as waterspouts rip fish from the ocean, eventually sending them cascading down to earth. Meanwhile, San Francisco pop duo ‘The Weather Girls’ claim to have observed men raining from the sky, although these reports are unconfirmed. So, what makes the events in Oakville so intriguing?
Numerous explanations and theories emerged in the weeks following the incident. Some claimed that the US military had bombed jellyfish in the pacific ocean (presumably because they were harbouring WMD’s), while another theory suggested a leak of waste fluid from overhead aircraft. As some residents reported nausea and dizziness, questions were inevitably raised around safety. While some claimed to have found bacteria in the blobs, they had disappeared before a proper investigation could be conducted - so it remains a mystery.
One explanation is that of ‘star jelly’, substances once thought to have fallen from the stars (the naming was fairly on the nose there) but now understood to be the excretions of frogs and toads. Descriptions of the Oakville blobs match those of ‘star jelly’, though this still doesn’t explain how the substance began falling from the sky.
Oakville’s blobs have entered the history books as of one of life’s great mysteries, among the likes of the Bermuda triangle and Bigfoot - although admittedly less exciting. With a similar incident being reported in Bournemouth in 2012, are we looking at a real-life version of 1958’s The Blob? We can only hope not, it would be terrible for the economy.
