Two surfers have found a ‘doomsday’ oarfish on a tourist beach, sparking fears of an impending natural disaster.
The marine beast, considered one of the longest fish in the ocean, was discovered lying on the sand still alive.
The kindhearted youngsters use their surfboards to shift the animal towards the waves.
The oarfish, which appeared to have part of its tail missing, was then swept out to sea.
However, it’s unclear if the deep-sea fish survived.
Oarfish sometimes wash up on beaches after a storm or when they suffer a serious injury.
They live at depths of up to 1,000m (3,280ft) and sightings are not very common.
The oarfish was discovered by the surfers in Cabo San Lucas on the southern tip of Mexico’s Baja California peninsula on Friday (17 Jan)
One local said: “They say those fish appear when there is going to be a very strong tsunami.”
Fredy remarked: “It will be okay because they didn’t grab it with their hands.”
Víctor added: “Its tail is missing, probably caused by a predator.”
Oarfish can measure up to 17m (56ft) in length and weigh over 200kg (441lbs).
Their body is scaleless and the skin has a slimy, silvery protective coating known as guanine.
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.
On 10 August, a dead oarfish was found on Grandview Surf Beach in Encinitas near San Diego, California, US.
It was only the 21st reported sighting of an oarfish on a Californian beach since 1901, as reported by Need To Know.
Two days later, a 4.4-magnitude earthquake struck Los Angeles and the wider southern California region.
READ MORE: Two men fight for lives after being GORED by bulls during festival
