Via iStockphoto / @fireball_1969 TikTok
A woman went viral on TikTok after sharing a story that seemed too surreal to be true. During a trip to Florida, she was paddling along when monkeys started raining from the sky.
User @fireball_1969 filmed the moment from a small kayak, saying Florida’s wild monkeys “put on a show” for her. In the clip, she pans her camera toward a nearby cliff, where monkeys appear to be leaping into the water one after another.
“They’re jumping in,” @fireball_1969 says in disbelief. “Look at them all. These are all monkeys jumping in. It’s raining monkeys.”
At one point, she even catches one landing right near her boat—close enough to make her flinch. “What the heck is making them all jump?” she wonders aloud.
As of Tuesday, the video had racked up more than 27.1 million views.
What’s Going On Here?
The Silver Springs State Park area is home to hundreds of rhesus macaques—a non-native species brought to Florida in the 1930s for a jungle-themed river attraction. What began as a quirky tourist stunt turned into a self-sustaining colony, with the monkeys thriving in the state’s subtropical forests.
Experts say rhesus macaques are strong swimmers and sometimes cross the Silver River to forage or avoid people. But mass crossings like the one caught on camera are rare, usually set off by some sort of stressor, such as loud noises or nearby crowds.
In 2022, wildlife officials said they hoped to curb—or even eliminate—the monkey population after researchers found that some carried the herpes B virus, which can infect humans. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has documented 50 human cases of the virus worldwide, though none have been linked to Florida’s macaques.
The state’s main concern is limiting human-monkey contact, a challenge made harder by people who try to feed the animals or take selfies with them. A 2018 study found that completely removing the macaques would require capturing at least half the population every other year—either to relocate or euthanize them. Another option would be sterilizing half the adult females every two years, which could shrink the population to about one-third its current size.
For now, though, @fireball_1969 seems to have escaped her close encounter unscathed. Fox 35 spoke with her after she filmed the troop’s dramatic leap into the river. She’s not the first to catch the spectacle on video. Back in 2022, another visitor recorded more than 20 rhesus macaques diving from tree limbs into the Silver River below.
Viewers Tell Woman She Might Be In Danger
Though @fireball_1969 appears to have made it out of her close encounter unscathed, plenty of viewers weren’t so sure she was ever safe.
Many in the comments wondered whether she was in danger—or what, exactly, the monkeys were running from.
“I wonder what’s making ’em all jump, guys,” one person joked, posting a photo that suggested the animals were fleeing something far worse.
Another viewer added, “I’m jumping in too, because what are they running from?”
A third admitted, “I would be terrified because what the hell are they running from,” while someone else warned, “Usually, if something is fleeing the scene, you should probably start running too.”
Others were simply stunned to learn Florida even had wild monkeys.
“Me Googling Florida monkeys while living in Florida,” one woman wrote. Another chimed in, “Put your hand in the air if you had NO idea Florida had wild monkeys.”
A third added, “So who’s going to tell me there’s monkeys in Florida.”
A fourth confessed, “I’m 27 and had no idea about Florida monkeys.”
Some viewers were just in awe of the clip itself—either because it looked stunning or because it made them laugh.
“That water is sooo pretty,” one person commented.
Another said, “That smack sound every time one of them comes down is so funny.”
A third summed it up simply: “That is once in a lifetime. Thanks for sharing.”
BroBible has reached out to @fireball_1969 via direct message on TikTok.