Rare 'harbinger of doom' is spotted off California coast

Rare 'harbinger of doom' is spotted off California coast

A rare and dying species of fish dubbed the 'harbinger of doom' has washed up on the coastline in California for the second time in under a year.

Researchers at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography have released pictures of a dead oarfish lying onshore of the Grandview Surf Beach in Encinitas.

These bright, silvery and wide-eyed creatures live deep in the mesopelagic zone where there is extremely low light - making the appearance a very special moment.

Much to the scientists' intrigue, this is the second oarfish to wash up on the West Coast state's beaches this year.

'Look what decided to make another appearance!' the experts captioned the images on X.

'Last week, another #oarfish washed up on Grandview Beach in Encinitas and was spotted by Scripps Oceanography PhD candidate Alison Laferriere.'

'This cool creature measures roughly 9 to 10 feet long.'

Scripps Marine Vertebrate Collection Manager Ben Frable also confirmed: 'Like with the previous oarfish, this specimen and the samples taken from it will be able to tell us much about the biology, anatomy, genomics and life history of oarfishes.'

These long, ribbon-shaped aquatic animals, which can grow up to 20 feet long, have remained largely unstudied by scientists for years.

According to Oceana, the oarfish are 'likely the source of sea serpent myths' that have kept many terrified in maritime cultures.

At times, some oarfish often swim with their head and ornate 'crown' out of the water when they are near the sea surface as if they are searching for something - mostly after a large storm.

Combined with their long snake-like body and unusual appearance, many sailors believed that these 'mythical sea serpents' would attack mariners or even entire ships in the open ocean.

Apart from this, some legends also believe that these 'doomsday fish' can predict natural disasters or future earthquakes.

Most notably, 20 oarfishes washed up ashore months before Japan was hit with a devastating tsunami that left over 15,000 people dead and led to a 9.0 magnitude earthquake in March 2011.

According to the Scripps Institution, only 21 oarfishes have recorded being washed up on California shores since 1901.

While Frable revealed that him and the other researchers did not exactly know why the fish were washing up dead, he said it it was an incredible opportunity to study them more.

'Rare encounters like this offer an incredible opportunity to learn more about this species and its behavior,' he told NBC.

He suggested that changes in the conditions of the ocean could be one of the reasons but he noted that it could be linked to the shift from El Niño to La Niña.

'This wash-up coincided with the recent red tide and Santa Ana winds last week but many variables could lead to these strandings,' he said to Fox5.

This previous oarfish, which measured 12 feet long, was spotted this summer by kayakers in the La Jolla Cove, located north of downtown San Diego.

It was later transported to the NOAA's Fisheries Science Center in La Jolla for further study.

The Gandview Beach is a narrow beach below high bluffs topped with homes and condo buildings.

Except for when it is high tide and there is barely any beach exposed, this scenic area has firm sand and is excellent for walking.

It is the north beach access point at Leucadia State Beach, a California state park that is run by the city of Encinitas.

Apart from walking, visitors tend to surf and sunbathe here.