06/13/2026
🍌🎣 THE BANANA CURSE: FACT, FICTION, OR FISHING TRUTH? 🎣🍌
True story: you can still get kicked off a fishing charter for bringing a banana aboard.
This superstition dates back to the 1700s, and the theories behind it are stranger than most people realize:
🍌 Banana boats had to sail FAST before the cargo spoiled—too fast to fish. Crews arriving in port with bananas often had empty fish boxes, and the fruit got the blame.
🕷️ Banana bunches were notorious for hiding venomous spiders and snakes. When sailors got bitten or mysteriously died, the bananas became the prime suspect.
🥭 Ripening bananas release ethylene gas, which can cause other fruits and provisions to spoil faster. On long voyages, that could mean a ruined food supply.
🌊 The darkest theory of all: when heavily loaded cargo ships sank, the bananas floated. Survivors and rescuers sometimes found nothing but bananas bobbing on the waves, linking them forever to bad luck at sea.
Some captains today won’t even allow Banana Boat sunscreen, banana-flavored snacks, or Fruit of the Loom logos aboard. 😳
Me? Let’s just say if I spot a banana in your tackle bag, we might need to have a talk before we leave the dock… 😆
👇 Sailors and anglers, weigh in! 👇
Do you believe bananas are bad luck on a boat?
🍌 YES — Bananas stay on shore.
⚓ NO — That’s just an old fisherman’s tale.
Bonus Question: What’s the strangest boating or fishing superstition you’ve ever heard?
🍌🎣👊🏼🫡
