A nearly 14-foot oarfish has washed ashore in California, the second in a week. The carcass of the "sea serpent" washed ashore in Oceanside, Calif. and attracted a sizeable crowd before it was removed by a member of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, NOAA.
The oarfish, Regalecus glesne, measured 13 1/2 feet, smaller than the 18 foot oarfish carcass that was found off Catalina Island on Sunday, Oct. 13. The second oarfish washed ashore on Oct. 18 at approximately 5 p.m. local time, reports U-T San Diego. Oceanside police were called and the carcass was soon removed by a NOAA representative. Oarfish are deep sea fish and it's unclear why two large creatures have gotten so close to the shore. Oarfish sightings are incredibly rare as they dive deep into the ocean, at depths reaching 3,000 feet, notes U-T San Diego. One of the responding officers, Mike Bussey, described the oarfish as "pretty neat."
The first oarfish was discovered by Jasmine Santana, a marine science instructor, as she was snorkeling on Sunday. She pulled the 18-foot carcass ashore with the help of staffers from the Catalina Island Marine Institute. The oarfish's rarity may explain some sea serpent sightings as well as reports of "mutant fish," as was the case as the carcass of a large fish washed ashore in Spain in August.
In June, researchers were able to capture video of an 8-foot oarfish swimming, relatively small considering the fish can grow to 50 feet in length. Unlike other fish, Oarfish have a tendency to hang vertically in the ocean in order to scan for food. Tissue samples of the first oarfish, believed to have died of natural causes, were sent to University of California Santa Barbara.
Giant 14-Foot Oarfish Washes Ashore In California, Second 'Sea Serpent' Found This Week
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