Rare Deep-Sea Oarfish Found Dead in California Sparks Scientific Curiosity**
A rare deep-sea oarfish, resembling a serpent and measuring about 12 feet (3.6 meters) long, was discovered dead on the surface of the ocean off San Diego’s coast last weekend. The unusual find was made by snorkelers and kayakers in La Jolla Cove, and it has since been brought ashore for examination, according to the Scripps Institution of Oceanography.
This sighting is particularly noteworthy as it marks only the 20th recorded instance of an oarfish washing up in California since 1901, as reported by fish expert Ben Frable from Scripps.
Oarfish, which can grow to over 20 feet (6 meters) in length, are typically found in the mesopelagic zone of the ocean—an area where sunlight does not penetrate. Despite their mythical reputation as harbingers of natural disasters or earthquakes, no scientific evidence supports this belief.
The oarfish was transported to shore on a paddleboard before being transferred to a pickup truck for further investigation. Scientists from the NOAA Southwest Fisheries Science Center and Scripps are set to perform a necropsy to determine the cause of the fish’s death and to uncover any potential insights into why this deep-sea species might appear near the surface.
