Two strange-looking deep sea fish washed ashore in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, recently and were saved by beachgoers.
The creatures, also known as Oarfish and “doomsday fish,” were in need of assistance when they washed up onshore, the New York Post reported Wednesday.
Two sisters enjoying the beach noticed the fish and at first stood in shock, watching them in distress.
“We saw something in the distance, it was flashing, and it was really bright,” explained Monica Pittenger who recorded the encounter. She added, “And when we saw them up close, it was like nothing we’ve seen before, so we were like, this can’t be real. My sister just cannot stand anything in pain. She reacted super fast.”
Video footage shows the moment the beachgoers took charge and worked together to get the fish back into the ocean. A girl also helped Pittenger’s sister as she put her hands underneath the creature and slowly moved it towards the water.
However, their rescue mission was not over because a second Oarfish had washed up on the beach. The tourists eventually got both fish back into ocean and Pittenger said they both swam away.
Pittenger said when they researched the fish, they realized the sighting was rare. “It was a pretty cool experience but very surreal,” she said.
According to Ocean Conservancy, Oarfish can grow up to 30 feet long and are deep-sea dwellers who eat krill, plankton, and small crustaceans:
There are a few theories on the origin of the oarfish’s name. One guess is that their long, flat bodies simply resemble oars; another suggests the name could have come from the “rowing” motions they make as they swim in such a peculiar way through the water. However, oarfish also have another much more alarming nickname: the doomsday fish. In some areas of the world, 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 numerous news reports, before Japan’s 2011 earthquake (one of the most catastrophic in history) a total of 20 oarfish washed ashore.
Oarfish are also called king of the herring, Pacific oarfish, ribbonfish, and streamer fish, per the Florida Museum’s website, which noted they could be a source for sea monster legends.
