A Mythical Harbinger Of Doom Washes Up On A California Beach
Summary
A rare 10-foot-long oarfish, known as the "doomsday fish" due to its association with disaster folklore, washed ashore in Encinitas, California, marking the second sighting in the state this year. Oarfish, which inhabit the deep ocean up to 3,300 feet below the surface, have sparked myths linking them to earthquakes, though no scientific evidence supports this connection. Scientists, including researchers from the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, suggest environmental shifts may explain these rare occurrences. With only 21 documented cases in California since 1901, each sighting provides a valuable opportunity to study this mysterious species.
Interesting/Fun Facts
The Oarfish is a ribbon-shaped fish with an extremely elongated body and a dorsal fin down the length of its back.
These creatures can grow up to 20 feet long, with the recent sightings measuring 10 and 12 feet.
Oarfish live as far as 3,300 feet below the ocean's surface in the dark, sunlight-free mesopelagic zone.
Only 21 oarfish have washed up on California shores since 1901, making their appearances exceptionally rare.
The recent 10-foot oarfish in Encinitas marks the second appearance on California shores in 2024, following a 12-foot oarfish found earlier in La Jolla Cove.
Oarfish are nicknamed "doomsday fish" due to myths linking them to natural disasters like earthquakes.
In 2011, 20 oarfish washed ashore in Japan before a 9.0-magnitude earthquake and tsunami struck the region.
The devastating tsunami happened on March 11, 2011, killing more than 15,000 people and was triggered by a 9.0-magnitude earthquake that gave the sea floor a massive shove toward Honshu, Japan’s largest island.
A 2019 Japanese study found no solid evidence connecting oarfish sightings to seismic activity.
La Jolla’s underwater canyons make it a hotspot for deep-sea creatures like oarfish to surface when disoriented or injured.
My Opinion
It’s honestly so crazy that there have been two oarfish sightings in California in just one year. Part of me can’t help but wonder if it could mean an earthquake might be on the way in that area, especially with all the legends tying oarfish to natural disasters. But at the same time, maybe it’s just because California’s shores, especially around places like La Jolla, are a hotspot for deep-sea creatures to surface when injured/disoriented. Either way, it’s weird to think about how a fish that’s supposed to live so deep in the ocean suddenly ends up on the beach. It feels like one of those rare, mysterious events that makes you wonder what’s really going on down in the ocean.