The Power of Storytelling: Lessons from an Anglerfish
Have you ever cried over a fish? Well, a whole lot of people have over the past couple of weeks when the story of a little anglerfish swam into the imaginations of the collective internet.
What happened?
The black seadevil anglerfish is a creature that is rarely seen by humans because it lives deep in the ocean where light rarely touches – in fact, the rare little creatures, which only grow up to about 8 inches, carry their own light with them on an antenna.
Extraordinarily, divers recently captured footage of a female angler fish swimming vertically to the surface. She died shortly after.
It was a major feat for science. The divers captured and delivered her to the Museum of Nature and Archaeology (MUNA) in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain, to be studied. It’s believed to be the first time one of these animals has been seen in daylight.
The interest is not surprising – after all, there are many scientific questions that an event like this sparks. Why was she swimming to the top? What compelled her to leave the ocean floor? Was she sick?
What WAS surprising was how the little fish captured the hearts of so many and took the internet by storm. A collective narrative was crafted around her – that she, on her last day, wanted to see the sun and braved the perils of the ocean to swim her way to the top, no longer forced to carry her own light. A beautiful story – even if perhaps not a scientifically valid one.
So were any number of inspirational videos featuring her journey.
Animated short films were created.
Merch and artwork have been sold.
People have even designed their anglerfish tattoos around her story.
What can we as communicators take from this?
Stories are powerful. They shape the way we see the world and connect us to one another. The tale of the little anglerfish resonates not because of hard science, but because it tapped into something deeply human—a longing for light, for one last glimpse of something beautiful.
When we craft narratives that call upon our empathy and shared experiences, we create momentum around ideas that might otherwise remain unnoticed. Whether it’s a deep-sea fish or a groundbreaking innovation, an observation can become the right story that has the power to move people, inspire action, and leave a lasting impact.
(PS – In other fish-related news, a rare “doomsday” fish was just spotted in Mexico. We’ll see if a similar outpouring of content results. The EO Report will keep a watchful eye.)