A giant deep-sea oarfish, measuring over 13 feet and steeped in doomsday folklore, washed ashore dead on a tourist beach in Indonesia on Tuesday. The discovery on Pink Beach along the southeastern coast of Komodo Island at approximately 7:30 a.m. local time quickly fueled ominous claims online that the creature was a warning of an impending natural disaster.
In Japanese folklore, oarfish are known as 'doomsday fish' and are believed to be messengers from the sea god's palace. The legend suggests that their appearance on land can foreshadow a deadly earthquake, tsunami, or other catastrophe. Sahlan, head of Telone Hamlet in Sekaroh Village, told local outlet detikBali that the creature alarmed beachgoers due to its association with natural disasters. However, marine authorities have dismissed the omen as a myth, stating there is no scientific evidence linking the oarfish to such events. Some researchers, however, suggest that environmental factors surrounding its appearance warrant further investigation.
The oarfish's carcass was carried inland by beachgoers, causing a stir among locals. Sahlan noted that the fish was discovered by an outsider who had been camping nearby. Despite the online frenzy and speculation, Sahlan insisted that residents along the coast remained calm.
The legend of the 'doomsday fish' dates back to at least the 17th century in Japan, with rare appearances interpreted as warnings from mythical deities. One notable instance cited by proponents of the legend is the appearance of nearly two dozen oarfish washing ashore months before the magnitude 9.1 megaearthquake near Japan's Tōhoku region in 2011, which triggered a massive tsunami that killed nearly 20,000 people. Other oarfish sightings have reportedly preceded earthquakes in the Philippines in 2017 and smaller events in Tasmania, India, and California in recent years.
In a separate incident earlier this year, a pair of American tourists encountered two massive oarfish washing ashore in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, in late February. Monica Pittenger described the experience as "something out of like a fiction movie." She and her sister, Katie, along with other beachgoers, assisted in pushing the distressed creatures back into the deeper water, where they swam away.
Oarfish are typically found in deep ocean waters and rarely surface unless they are sick, injured, or dying, making their appearance on beaches an unusual event. An adult oarfish can grow to approximately 36 feet long and weigh close to 600 pounds.