This year has seen an unusual surge in oarfish sightings worldwide—deep-sea creatures often dubbed “doomsday fish.” In June, Indian fishermen off Tamil Nadu hauled in a massive ~30‑foot oarfish, generating local awe and sparking disaster omens. Around the same time, Tasmania reported another sighting, involving a 9‑foot–long specimen.

Earlier this year, a live oarfish was filmed near Baja California Sur in Mexico, shortly before it washed up—adding to California’s list of rare finds. In late 2024, California beaches experienced two separate strandings—a recent incident in Encinitas and another in La Jolla—with the latter followed by a minor Los Angeles quake two days later.

Oarfish (Regalecus glesne) are deep‑sea dwellers, inhabiting depths of 200–1 000 m and growing up to 30 ft—the longest bony fish known. While ancient folklore, particularly Japanese “ryūgū no tsukai” tales, link these creatures to impending earthquakes or tsunamis, scientific studies find no reliable correlation. Experts attribute surface appearances to illness, injury, environmental shifts, or deep-sea habitat disturbances—not seismic precursors.