Beachgoers panicked after a huge fish – believed to appear from the sea when an earthquake is looming – washed up on the sand yesterday. The enormous deep-sea oarfish – which measured 13 feet (4 metres) in length – is dubbed a “harbinger of doom” for its links to disasters.
It was still alive when beachgoers tried to help it back out to sea but desperately trying to breathe through its gills. Despite the best efforts of locals, it died on the shore on Cancas Beach in Punta Sal, Peru.
Other residents were too worried to stay on the beach, though, as they feared on earthquake was to strike within minutes. Nothing has happened in Peru yet but, on occasions, quakes have occurred days after sightings of oarfish.
The huge ‘earthquake fish’ washed up on a busy beach in front of curious tourists and locals
One resident told local media: “We noticed that it was beaching here on the shore. The fishermen here were not afraid to touch it and tried to return it to the sea. However, it was destined to die.”
Images show two men dragging the long fish back into the water in front of a large group of onlookers, including dozens of children. The video went viral with 129,100 views and dozens of comments.
One viewer commented: “It has already been reported that catastrophes occur during these times and many of us will suffer as a result.”
Another said: “Oarfish are synonymous with earthquakes and tsunamis. You have to ponder after that last tremor on the Salvadoran coast.” A third wrote: “Another oarfish of earthquakes?”
One man remarked: “It does not mean a catastrophe is coming. They are deep-sea fish that, if they are injured or about to die, come to the shore.”
The oarfish – dubbed a ‘harbinger of doom’ – measured 13 feet in length
Fishermen said it was the second oarfish they have encountered on the beach in recent months. An oarfish washed up on the beach during Cyclone Yaku in March this year.
Due to their size and shape, oarfish resemble “sea serpents” and are considered harbingers of earthquakes and misfortune in Japanese mythology. The myth was rekindled in 2011 after the Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami.
Shortly before the disaster, at least a dozen of the rarely-seen fish washed ashore in Japan in late 2009 and 2010. Despite their links to natural disasters, the Ecuadoran Geophysical Institute said the myth has no validity in any scientific study carried out as of August 2022.
Many people believe the infamous fish appears before an earthquake hits
Oarfish are considered one of the longest fish in the ocean and can measure up to 17 metres (56 feet) in length and weigh over 200 kilogrammes (441 lbs). Their body is scaleless and the skin has a slimy, silvery protective coating known as guanine.
Their dorsal fin starts between their eyes and reaches its tail. Due to its ability to adapt to different temperatures, oarfish are found in most of the world’s oceans with the exception of the poles.
They live at depths of up to 1,000 metres (3,280 feet) and sightings are not very common. Sometimes they wash up on beaches after a storm or when they suffer a serious injury.
