Locals are terrified of an impending disaster after a “doomsday harbinger” oarfish washed up on a beach.
The elongated fish is usually confined to the depths of the ocean and is rarely seen by human eyes.
According to legend, the sight of an oarfish in shallow waters is an omen of earthquakes.
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It has even been dubbed the “earthquake fish”.
The latest specimen was recently sighted in Playa El Sargento close to La Paz, Mexico.
Local media reported it on Monday (6 May).
Images of the creature, when held up by its tail, show it to be significantly taller than an average adult male human.
And it comes hot on the heels of another oarfish sighting in the area in Playa La Ventana – less than a 10-minute drive away, on 15 April.
The two localities are situated in the Baja California Peninsula, where there are several active seismic faults.
These are the result of motion along the boundary between the North American and the Pacific tectonic plates.
The fish coming ashore have given locals the heebie-jeebies, as reported on Need To Know.
Jo wrote on social media: “Woah! We’re doomed according to folklore.”
Juanita added: “Signs of the End Times. Matthew 24. There will be famines, pestilences, wars, and rumours of wars.”
And Lourdes warned: “Another earthquake is coming, we need to be prepared.”
The giant oarfish (Regalecus glesne) is thought to live at depths of around 3,300ft (1,000m).
It is the longest known living species of bony fish, can reach a length of 56ft (17m) and weigh up to 600lb (270kg).
It is plentiful in the wild and feeds on tiny plankton but is rarely seen at the surface.
Scientists believe they wash up when in distress or dying, or after storms or strong currents.
They are related to Russell’s oarfish (Regalecus russelii), known in Japan as “Messengers from the Sea God’s Palace”.
According to traditional belief, if they wash up, an earthquake may be coming.
Japanese geologist Kiyoshi Wadatsumi says this theory could actually be based in science.
He said in a 2013 report: “Deep-sea fish living near the sea bottom are more sensitive to the movements of active faults than those near the surface of the sea.”
But not everyone was convinced of impending doom.
Kenji wrote: “I see them washed up every few summers, I think we are OK.”
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