A rare “doomsday” creature known as the oarfish has washed ashore in the Canary Islands, igniting fears of an imminent disaster.
Oarfish, which typically inhabit depths of up to 3,200 feet, are considered bad omens when seen near the surface. This elusive creature was discovered by beachgoers at Playa Quemada, and a video of the sighting has garnered over 9 million views on Instagram, according to Jam Press.
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The video shows a man in swim shorts approaching the silver fish with its translucent orange fins. In Japanese mythology, the oarfish, known as Ryūgū no tsukai or “messenger of the Sea God,” is believed to be a harbinger of catastrophic events such as earthquakes, tsunamis, and hurricanes.
The last notable sighting of an oarfish, which has long been associated with myths of impending disaster, occurred on a California beach for the second time since November 2024.
