A rare creature nicknamed the “doomsday fish” was spotted way outside its usual stomping waters, sending onlookers into a spiral of existential dread. Earlier this month, a rare and glimmering oarfish was spotted along the shores of Baja California Sur in Mexico. Often seen as a sign of approaching disasters by some, its appearance has sparked curiosity and speculation.
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According to AccuWeather, oarfish typically inhabit the deep ocean, residing hundreds to thousands of feet below the surface. Sightings in shallow waters are exceptionally rare, particularly of a live specimen, such as the one observed in Mexico on February 9.
A deep-sea creature rarely seen by humans called the oarfish has washed ashore in Mexico!
— Nature is Amazing ☘️ (@AMAZlNGNATURE) February 19, 2025
It is believed that this mysterious “doomsday fish” only emerges from the ocean’s depths when disaster is near 👀 pic.twitter.com/h29hw9sb8e
“The fish swam straight at us, lifting its head above the water about two inches,” Robert Hayes recalled to Storyful (via Yahoo! News). “We redirected it three times out to the water, but it came back each time.”
The footage of the encounter revealed the oarfish to be only a few feet long—relatively small for its species. Oarfish can reach impressive lengths of up to 36 feet and weigh several hundred pounds.
The Fish is Seen as a Harbinger of Earthquakes in Some Cultures
Sure, seeing the rare creature is interesting. But could it mean 2025 could get even worse? After all, the fish has long been associated with bad omens.
“These creatures are seen as being harbingers of bad news, particularly disasters or destruction. The legend is that if you see an oarfish, it is a warning sign from higher powers that disasters such as earthquakes are soon to occur,” according to Ocean Conservancy.
“While many legends may surround these creatures, it is unusual for humans to encounter oarfish,” Ocean Conservancy added. “If one is spotted close to the surface, it typically indicates that the creature is sick, dying or at least disoriented.”
Of course, the denizens of the Internet feared the worst after seeing the footage.
“This means that we are going to face a huge disaster in the near future,” one onlooker declared on X. “Looks like the ocean just sent us a warning…” a second user added.
However, not everyone was so impressed with the omen fish sighting.
“Brother, I don’t even remember a year without some new disaster happening. These things should be our pets at this point if that was true,” one beleaguered X user joked.