A giant oarfish made a rare appearance, swimming past a tourist boat just a day before an earthquake struck the area.
This species, often referred to as the harbinger of doom, inhabits depths ranging from 656 to 3,280 feet (200 to 1,000 meters).
Typically, they are found washed up on shores following storms or severe injuries, making it exceedingly uncommon to witness them alive and in shallow waters.
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Locals often interpret such sightings as an omen of impending natural disasters.
Last Wednesday, July 17, a group of tourists was amazed to encounter a live oarfish in shallow waters. The following afternoon, on July 18, the National Seismological Service (SSN) reported a 3.8-magnitude earthquake.
A video captured the long sea creature swimming near the tourist boat as astonished onlookers filmed with their phones. The oarfish then abruptly turned and swam past the vessel’s bow.
This remarkable footage was recorded by a tour guide from Pita’s Tour, an excursion company based in La Paz, Baja California Sur, Mexico.
A company spokesperson described the event to Need To Know., saying, “It was an incredible experience!”
Oarfish, due to their elongated bodies and large size, resemble ‘sea serpents’ and can grow up to 55 feet long and weigh more than 440 pounds.
Despite being the fourth oarfish sighting in Baja California Sur this year, there has never been a recorded sighting at low tide before.
True to the local myth, an earthquake followed the sighting the next day. According to the SSN, the earthquake’s epicenter was located 6 miles southeast of San José del Cabo at the southern tip of Baja California Sur.
Though the tremor was widely felt, it lasted only a few seconds, and authorities reported no casualties or significant damage to buildings.
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