30.05.2026 17:50
The epic migration journey of the pearl mullet, an endemic species of Lake Van, as it swims against the current to reproduce, broke a visitor record during the holiday break. During this period when the fishing ban is in effect, around 40,000 people who wanted to witness the fish's fascinating struggle in the Deliçay River filled the nature park in Erciş, capturing the moments with their mobile phones.
The migration of the pearl mullet, which lives only in Lake Van in the world and swims against the current to migrate to freshwaters for reproduction, continues. Deliçay in the Erciş district, one of the region's most important fish migration observation areas, was visited by approximately 40 thousand people during the Eid al-Adha holiday. Visitors recorded the migration journey of the fish with their mobile phone cameras.
The fishing ban applied between April 15 and July 15 continues due to the breeding season of the pearl mullet, which can live in the salty and soda water of Lake Van and is under protection. Pearl mullets, which leave the lake every year to migrate to streams and rivers for breeding, offer beautiful scenes to visitors with their struggle against the current. Hosting thousands of domestic and foreign visitors every year, the pearl mullet migration is among Van's important natural assets and makes a significant contribution to regional tourism.
The Pearl Mullet Nature Park in Van's Erciş district also attracted interest throughout the Eid al-Adha holiday. About 40 thousand people from different provinces of Turkey besides Van visited the region during the holiday. In Deliçay, where the water flow increased after the recent rains, although the leaps of the fish could not be observed at the desired level for a while, pearl mullets began to be seen again today as the water level returned to normal.
"CONTRIBUTION TO PROMOTION" People from Van and neighboring provinces as well as many provinces of Turkey watched those moments with interest. Kemal Ayçiçek, who came to Erciş from Bursa to watch the fish migration, said, "We came to this area for the first time to watch the migration. The pearl mullet migration starts every year during this season. We wanted to come and watch the fish migration while on holiday. Pearl mullets create a visual feast. There is an incredible crowd. We are recording and photographing the migration journey of the fish. We want to share the photos we take on our social media accounts and contribute a little to the promotion of the region. I invite everyone to watch this magnificent migration."