Fishermen have hunted swordfish off the eastern coasts of Sicily for many hundreds of years. They use an extremely ancient method that never fails to attract large crowds of tourists to come to see it in operation.

The swordfish is a large animal, taking its name from the long, thin, spear-like part of its face that juts forward. It uses this bony spike as a weapon of offense to spear the large numbers of fish on which it lives. The swordfish can also turn its weapon on to any fisherman who tries to catch it.

The fishermen still use harpoons to catch swordfish. A sailor on the crow’s nest of a ship spots the fish and shouts a warning. It takes tremendous skill and accuracy to hit a swordfish at its vital point and prevent it from charging against a fishing boat and endangering the crew.

Swordfish are often more than 3 meters long and can weigh more than 150 kilograms. Some zoologists believe this fish is the fastest swimmer in the sea. If relies on the powerful beating of its tail fin rather that the undulations of its body, as most fish do, and its stiff body glides rapidly and straight through the water.