Rare 'Doomsday Fish' Sighting Stuns Beachgoers in Cabo San Lucas
A rare and unusual sight captivated beachgoers in Cabo San Lucas when two long, ribbon-like deep-sea fish, commonly referred to as "doomsday fish," appeared near the shore. These creatures typically inhabit the ocean's depths, making their proximity to people an extremely uncommon event that drew immediate attention from everyone nearby.
Helping the Stranded Fish
The incident was documented in a video shared on Instagram by Monica Pittenger in collaboration with the page We Love Animals. In the footage, one fish had washed onto the beach while the other remained in shallow water. A crowd gathered, uncertain how to respond.
Pittenger described the moment: "It was like something out of a fiction movie. I had never seen anything like it before. I just remember thinking, Is this real?" Some onlookers quickly intervened to assist. Pittenger added, "Just watching all these men standing around, and she throws me her phone and her drink and her bag, and she's like, 'Hold this.'" Her sister, who "cannot stand anything in pain," along with a young girl, helped push the first fish back into the sea. They later repeated the effort for the second fish.
Why This Sighting Is Special
According to online sources, oarfish usually reside at depths of around 1,000 meters below the ocean's surface. They rarely approach the shore, rendering this occurrence a rare spectacle. Historically, these fish have been associated with myths linking them to earthquakes and tsunamis. However, scientists assert there is no evidence that oarfish sightings predict natural disasters. As noted in a report by Newsweek, no seismic activity followed this particular sighting.
First Close Look
Pittenger recounted how the group initially noticed the fish: "We saw something in the distance. It was flashing, and it was really bright. And when we saw them up close, it was like nothing we've seen before, so we were like, ‘This can't be real.’"
Disclaimer: This report is based on a viral video shared on social media and related online sources. Independent verification of the claims could not be carried out.
