It's daytime, old Fortunato says on his balcony that there's no point in going out to sea anymore, that one can no longer makes a living out of fishing, that the sea is no longer a symbol of freedom. It's evening, Costantino and the others set sail. The lights of the villages parade along the shore one after another. The older sailor lights the lamp attached to his fishing boat. The water boils with fishes, the crew watches them, no one moves, no one makes any move to catch them. They're too small, they should be left alone; the crew returns home empty-handed. Costantino goes to pray to the Virgin of the sea, perhaps she can grant him a favor, perhaps she knows where there is still fish under water.
The crew quarrels on the shore about the price of the sardines while evening comes back, then the fishermen venture to the sea once again. The villages parade and shine on the dark water. The old sailor lights the lamp. After a evening spent looking for it they see it: it is huge, makes the water sizzle, makes the water jump on the boat, it is an immense shoal of silver sardines on the dark sea.