A rare and elusive deep-sea creature, resembling a serpent, has been discovered dead off the coast of San Diego, California. The silvery, 12-foot-long oarfish was found floating on the ocean surface by a group of snorkelers and kayakers in La Jolla Cove, north of downtown San Diego. This remarkable find is only the 20th documented instance of an oarfish washing ashore in California since 1901, according to Ben Frable, a fish expert at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography.
The oarfish, known for its mythical reputation as a predictor of natural disasters or earthquakes, has captivated imaginations for centuries. However, no scientific evidence supports this connection. These elongated creatures, which can grow to over 20 feet in length, typically inhabit the deep, dark waters of the mesopelagic zone, where sunlight cannot penetrate.
The La Jolla Cove oarfish was brought to shore on a paddleboard and transported in the bed of a pickup truck. Scientists from the NOAA Southwest Fisheries Science Center and Scripps are scheduled to perform a necropsy on the fish on Friday to determine the cause of death. This examination will provide valuable insights into the life and demise of this fascinating deep-sea inhabitant.
