Oarfish Sightings in San Diego: Unraveling the Mysteries of the ‘Doomsday Fish’
- A 2.74-meter long oarfish washed up at Grandview Beach on November 6.
- After it was found, the dead fish was collected by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Fisheries Service.
- Many believe they appear in shallow waters before earthquakes and tsunamis.
San Diego – Oarfish Sightings Create Buzz
The oarfish has returned to the headlines. This is the third sighting this year.
A 2.74-meter long oarfish washed up at Grandview Beach on November 6. Alison Laferriere from the Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the University of California, San Diego, reported the find on Facebook.
After it was found, the dead fish was collected by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Fisheries Service. It was taken to the Southwest Fisheries Science Center. Ben Frable, manager of the Scripps Oceanography’s Marine Vertebrate Collection, stated, “We collected samples and froze the specimen while we await further study and final preservation at the Marine Vertebrate Collection.”
Oarfish are connected to Japanese mythology. Many believe they appear in shallow waters before earthquakes and tsunamis. According to Ocean Conservancy, twelve sightings occurred off Japan’s coast just before the massive earthquake in March 2011.
The movement of tectonic plates may push oarfish to shore, leading to their strandings before an earthquake, as suggested by some theories. However, a 2019 study from GeoScience found no correlation between oarfish sightings and earthquakes in Japan.
Oarfish, often referred to as “the fish of the apocalypse,” are rarely seen. Little is known about them since they thrive in the mesopelagic zone, which lies 3,000 feet below the ocean’s surface. Frable mentioned, “Like previous oarfish specimens, this one will help us learn about the biology, anatomy, genomics, and life history of oarfish.”
The first oarfish this year washed up at La Jolla Cove in August. This 3.66-meter specimen was found by kayakers and snorkelers near San Diego’s coast, close to underwater canyons that direct currents toward the shore.