In three separate incidents this year – two in June alone – rare deep-sea oarfish, nicknamed “doomsday fish,” have washed up on beaches in Tamil Nadu, India, Tasmania, and Mexico, stirring ancient legends and online speculation.
As AccuWeather reports, some cultures believe oarfish are harbingers of natural disasters. The monstrous, snake-like appearance of these huge, silvery fish is also linked to wild stories of sea serpents. Oarfish are one of the longest bony fish species in the world.
Baja California Sur Beach, Mexico
And a rare, shimmering oarfish was spotted at Baja California Sur beach in Mexico earlier in the year. Video of the encounter showed the oarfish was a few feet long, which is small for its species. They can grow to be up to 36 feet long and weigh hundreds of pounds.
Oarfish are typically found in the depths of the ocean, living hundreds to thousands of feet below the surface. It is rare to spot them in shallow waters, especially alive, like the one that was seen in Mexico on Feb. 9. “The fish swam straight at us, lifting its head above the water about two inches,” Robert Hayes told Storyful. “We redirected it three times out to the water, but it came back each time.”
Tamil Nadu, India
Fishermen in Tamil Nadu pulled a massive 30-foot oarfish from the water in early June. Described as shimmering silver with a red crest, the fish was so large it required half a dozen men to handle it. Onlookers shared images on social media, referring to the creature as the “Pralaya fish” which is a local term tied to ominous predictions of earthquakes or tsunamis.
Ocean Beach, Tasmania
Days later, a dog walker on Tasmania’s west coast discovered another oarfish on Ocean Beach. “I just knew it was something unusual and weird,” Sybil Robertson told The Daily Mail. “I could see it was a long fish, but I had no idea what kind of fish,” Robertson added. “As I got closer, I could see the beautiful coloring around its head, and the markings on it were fabulous.”
Robertson said the fish was a “good three paces” in length and had some injuries but, otherwise, appeared in good condition. She took photos of the fish and posted them to a social media group called Citizen Scientists of Tasmania, where it was confirmed as an oarfish. The photos quickly went viral on Reddit. “We’re seeing a lot of these rare ‘doomsday’ fish washing up these days, aren’t we?” one commenter wrote.
Harbingers of Bad News, Disaster, or Destruction
“These creatures are seen as being harbingers of bad news, particularly disasters or destruction. The legend is that if you see an oarfish, it is a warning sign from higher powers that disasters such as earthquakes are soon to occur,” Ocean Conservancy explained on its website.
Whether this suspicion is true is open for debate. However, on Nov. 6, 2024, an oarfish was found on the shores of Grandview Beach in Southern California. One month later, a magnitude 7.0 earthquake struck off the West Coast, triggering tsunami warnings for parts of California and Oregon.
“While many legends may surround these creatures, it is unusual for humans to encounter oarfish,” Ocean Conservancy explained on its website. “If one is spotted close to the surface, it typically indicates that the creature is sick, dying or at least disoriented.”
Scientific Reasons Why They’re Washing Ashore
All kidding aside, oarfish washing up on beaches, especially in along the southern Pacific coastline, are not a sign of an imminent earthquake or any other disaster, despite folklore associating them with such events. The most likely scientific reasons for oarfish washing ashore is related to their physiology and ocean conditions.
- Illness or Injury: Oarfish, like other fish, can become sick or injured and may struggle to maintain depth, leading them to surface and potentially wash ashore.
- Ocean Currents: Oarfish are not strong swimmers and can get caught in strong currents that carry them towards the shore, preventing them from returning to deeper waters.
- Red Tides: Red tides, caused by algal blooms, can create toxic conditions that may cause fish to strand themselves.
- Climate Patterns: Shifting climate patterns, such as El Niño and La Niña, may influence ocean currents and temperatures, which could indirectly contribute to oarfish strandings.
- Changes in Ocean Conditions/Climate Change: Increased oarfish populations or shifts in ocean conditions, like temperature or salinity, might also play a role in strandings.
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Photo Credit: d3_plus / Shutterstock.com