Myth or omen: 2 ‘doomsday fish’ spotted near Mexico beach, why the rare sighting is going viral
In folklore, oarfish are often nicknamed ‘doomsday fish’ because of the long-standing belief that they surface before major natural disasters such as earthquakes or tsunamis
Beach visitors in Cabo San Lucas in Mexico recently witnessed an unusual sighting when two rare deep-sea creatures, known as “doomsday fish” appeared close to the shore.
This came a day before the US tested the unarmed Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile, dubbed the "doomsday missile", amid a raging war with Iran.
The long ribbon-shaped fish, officially called oarfish, are normally found in extremely deep waters, making such encounters rare.
A video of the moment was shared on Instagram by one Monica Pittenger in collaboration with the page, ‘We Love Animals’. The video shows one of the fish washed up on the sand while the other remains in shallow waters nearby.
Pittenger said her sister immediately rushed to help when one of the fish appeared to be in distress.
According to Pittenger, her sister and a few others tried to push the struggling fish back into the deep waters. The sudden appearance of a second oarfish only added to the confusion among those watching.
Social media users praised the sisters for saving the fish, while many showed concern.
One social media user commented, “Beautiful story, but also knowing that two ‘doomsday fish’ showed up right about now is not necessarily comforting.”
Sightings of the species remain extremely rare, although similar incidents occasionally make headlines. Last year, a roughly 30-foot-long oarfish was reported along the coast of Tamil Nadu in India.
In Japanese folklore, oarfish are often nicknamed “doomsday fish” because of the long-standing belief that they surface before major natural disasters such as earthquakes or tsunamis. Experts, however, say there is no scientific evidence linking the rare fish to seismic activity.
