Commercial fishing is one of the deadliest jobs in America according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Combine the occupational danger of commercial fishing with the rich history of superstitious lore associated with life on the seas and you have a recipe for some pretty strange beliefs and phobias. Even experienced sport fishermen have to be constantly vigilant and aware of certain unpredictable risks inherent to the ocean, such as engine failure, capsizing, running aground or becoming lost, illness, and foul weather to name just a few. While most of us generally believe that we have control over the direction of our lives, the danger and unpredictability of every moment for those who live and work at sea, when stakes are at their most high, results in a sense of fear. And when people are afraid, they try to rationalize what they don’t understand in any that they can, leading to the creation and spread of superstitious beliefs. In their attempts to explain their fears and misfortunes at sea, fishermen have come up with some pretty strange explanations over the centuries.
We all love bananas, right? Delicious and full of nutritious vitamins and minerals, bananas remain one of the most popular fruits all around the world. However, for fishermen, the banana is often seen as a harbinger of negative energy and many a superstitious captain have absolutely refused to allow them onboard. Some serious anglers in Florida won’t even allow Banana Boat brand sunscreen or Banana Republic clothing on their vessel. Some tournament-level sport fishermen even hide bananas aboard their competitors’ vessels to derail their performances. Despite how silly it may sound, some people take it very, very seriously. Typically, this particular rumor dictates that fish will not bite the lures from a vessel with bananas aboard, although mechanical, weather, and health issues have all also been associated with the fruit’s presence. When fishing, people become emotionally invested in an outcome that they have very limited control over. Like any other sport in which requires a degree of luck, people who partake generally lean towards superstition and desperately search for a cause to their random misfortunes. No one is exactly sure how far back this particular superstition began or what its true origins are, but its enduring prevalence to this day has resulted in a varied number of explanations being presented.
Historically ships that carried bananas needed to arrive at their destinations in a timely manner to avoid spoiling, so they held the reputation of being built for speed while also being cheaply constructed in most cases. When one of these vessels would inevitably sink, seldom was anything left but the cargo of bananas floating upon the waves, a warning and bad omen for any that should come across the floating tombstone of fruit. Bananas also typically grow in the tropics of Central and South America, so unwanted stowaways would often make their way into a ship’s’ cargo hold with the fruit. Eventually, exotic pests such as snakes and spiders would escape and infest the ship, sometimes poisonous. These pests were then largely associated with the bananas, and captains were known to actively perpetuate this rumor on occasion in order to discourage the crew from bringing more pests onboard. Discarded banana peels may be the fodder for many a classic physical comedy gag, but it is also believed that many a sailor went overboard and drowned from slipping on them. It is also commonly believed that the oils and ethylene gas given off by the fruits scare away potential catches and hasten the spoiling of other fruits in the cargo hold.
Whether there is any truth to the superstitions, there are plenty of historical reasons that justify why bananas are feared by fishermen. When dealing with something so subjective and intangible, it is important to remember that by simply believing in a superstition, we give it power and make it real. So next time you go fishing with a new captain or crew, it may be best to leave the bananas on the dock.
