By Mike Busch

I checked out a nice sunrise at the beach last Thursday and then took a ride to look for the menhaden that had disappeared after some recent stormy weather.   I found some birds working some surface action offshore but suspect it was just small bluefish.   On the way back, I noticed a few dark spots drifting in and sure enough several huge pods of very small bunker moved in close to the beach.  I sent up the drone to get a better look and to see if any predators were involved.  The answer was no, but I did get to observe different pods merging together while smaller groups hugged the bottom.  I don’t know why but I find it mesmerizing watching the schools interact with each other.

If you are in a rush, the bunker action starts at the 1:13 mark on the video above, or check out a shorter version below.

More Photos on Pages 2 and 3