Oarfish on the Canary Islands’ Shores: A Harbinger of Natural Disaster?

A rare fish known as the oarfish (Regalecus glesne) has appeared on the shores of the Canary Islands, raising numerous questions and concerns about whether this event signals an impending disaster.

This deep-sea fish usually inhabits depths of up to 3,200 feet, but it was recently spotted off the coast of Playa Quemada.

A widely shared video on social media shows a person attempting to rescue the shimmering silver fish with orange-edged fins. Its length appears to be just a few feet, unlike its maximum size of 56 feet, making it one of the longest bony fish in the world.

An Omen of Doom?

Despite its mesmerizing appearance, the sighting of an oarfish near the surface is often regarded as a bad omen. These fish are typically found in deep waters and only ascend when they are sick or near death.

In Japanese folklore, the oarfish is believed to be a harbinger of natural disasters.

According to legend, this plankton-feeding fish rises to the surface and strands itself on beaches when it senses an impending catastrophe.

This belief stems from the sudden appearance of dozens of oarfish on Japanese shores just before the devastating 2011 Fukushima earthquake and tsunami.

In August last year, an oarfish was found in La Jolla Cove, just two days before a magnitude 4.6 earthquake struck Los Angeles, further fueling concerns about a possible connection between these events.

Scientific Explanation

However, Professor Hiroyuki Motomura, a fish expert from Kagoshima University, dismissed any link between oarfish sightings and seismic activity.

He stated: “There is no scientific evidence linking the appearance of oarfish to earthquakes. These fish usually rise to the surface when they are in poor health and are carried by ocean currents.”

While public fears persist, the true nature of this phenomenon remains an unsolved mystery.