Daily Devotional – August 23

History

Of all the fish in the world, the ‘o’opu ‘alamo’o (opu) - native only to the island of Hawaii, is one of the most amazing. This fish only lays its eggs far inland from the ocean in the upper reaches of the Kolekole stream. Once the eggs hatch, the larvae are swept downstream by the swift current of the river and flushed into the warm, clear waters of the Pacific Ocean, where they mature into colorful 5-inch-long fish. To produce the next generation of fish, the female must swim back upstream to lay her eggs in the fresh water of the mountain stream. Here is where the miraculous occurs! Between where the mother lays her eggs and her ocean habitat is the Akaka Waterfall - which plummets 440 feet from a narrow opening on a sheer cliff wall. How can a fish swim up a 440 foot waterfall?

Unique to all the fish in the world, this particular species has a special set of fins fused together to form a suction cup directly between its front pectoral fins. The Opu laboriously attaches its suction cup fins to the water-slickened surface of the falls, and drags itself upward against the force of the flowing water, and reattaches itself again. Moving a fraction of an inch at a time, over many days, she literally free-climbs the 440 foot falls against the flow of the water to the top of the stream where she lays her eggs.

The following question arises; how did this fish learn to do this? Without the suction-cup shaped fins, the climb would be impossible! The Opu had to have the ability to climb with suction cups from the beginning or no more Opu fish. God created the Opu fish to delight us in His creative ability. Only God could create a waterfall climbing fish!

For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:

~ Colossians 1:16

Source: "Pearls in Paradise" by authors Bruce Malone and Jule Von Vett

References for this devotional.