Beach visitors spotted the oarfish on February 10. The Independent
A rare deep-sea oarfish surprised beachgoers when it appeared near Playa El Quemado in Baja California Sur, Mexico, on February 9. The long, silvery fish, sometimes called the "doomsday fish," is usually found deep in the ocean, making sightings extremely rare.
A video captured by Robert Hayes shows the oarfish flailing in the water. "That's an oarfish. Holy sh--, they've almost never been seen live," an amazed man can be heard saying. Another person added that the first one they had ever seen was 24 feet long, but oarfish can grow up to 30 feet.
Hayes said the fish swam toward them, lifting its head slightly above the water. Despite attempts to guide it back into deeper waters, the fish kept returning to shore. One person assumed it might be injured and planned to take it to a marine biologist.
Experts say it is uncommon to find oarfish near the surface. According to the Ocean Conservancy, these fish usually live in the deep sea, and when they appear close to shore, it often means they are sick, disoriented, or dying.
The oarfish has long been linked to legends and myths. Some believe its appearance is a sign of an impending natural disaster. In 2011, 20 oarfish were found on Japanese beaches just months before the country experienced its most devastating earthquake. More recently, a 4.4-magnitude earthquake struck Los Angeles in August 2024, two days after an oarfish sighting.
Ben Frable, an expert from Scripps Oceanography, believes these rare appearances may be linked to ocean changes. Factors such as shifts in water temperature or climate patterns like El Niño and La Niña may influence why deep-sea fish like oarfish wash ashore. However, he noted that not every case is connected to such changes.
Last year, similar sightings were reported in California. In August, a group exploring La Jolla Cove near San Diego discovered an oarfish, and in November, another was found dead on a beach in Encinitas.
As rare as these fish are, their sudden appearances always capture the curiosity of scientists and the public. Whether they signal an upcoming disaster or are simply lost in unfamiliar waters, oarfish remain one of the ocean’s most mysterious creatures.
