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Concern as two 'Doomsday Fish' believed to be omens of major disaster wash ashore in Mexico
Social media users were left concerned after two rare deep-sea creatures known as "doomsday fish" were spotted struggling near the shore in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico.
According to a video shared by the YouTube channel We Love Animals, the discovery began when two sisters noticed something unusual flashing in the distance near the shoreline.
"At first they thought it couldn’t be real," the video description reads. "As they got closer, they realized the creatures struggling in the shallow water were oarfish, a rare deep-sea species that almost never appears near the surface."
One of the sisters reportedly went into the water and, along with others on the beach, tried to guide the creature, identified as oarfish - long, ribbon-like fish that typically live thousands of feet below the ocean’s surface - back toward the sea.
But the moment soon became even more surprising: "Just as they finished helping the first one, they spotted another oarfish near the shore."
"Seeing even one is extremely rare. Seeing two in the same place is almost unheard of," the video description added.
Social Media Reactions
The footage has since spread widely online, attracting 1.6 million views. Many viewers took to the comment section to praise the woman who rushed into the water to help the fish.
"What a fantastic person that girl is to rush in without hesitation to help this distressed fish! My faith in people has been restored!" one commenter wrote.
Another user added: "She wanted to get them back into the ocean and she saved its life, they actually live very deep in the ocean. She did show a lot of compassion and respect for it to get back into the ocean."
A third added: "Oarfish are creatures that have inspired myths and legends for centuries. They are incredibly rare to be seen alive. They live very far down and travel up deep fishing lines at times.
"I've never seen a video of them on the sand like this. I'm only halfway through the video, but I hope these people save them. That is an incredible, never in a lifetime experience for most people. Just incredible," they shared.
Others urged caution when interacting with wildlife: "The colorful nature would have had me thinking it was poisonous. She was lucky in this situation.
"Please be diligent in taking care to know what you’re touching before you touch it. This REALLY could have had a different ending," they stressed.
Why They’re Called ‘Doomsday Fish’
Oarfish can grow to more than 30 feet long and are one of the longest bony fish in the ocean.
Even though they are harmless to humans, they carry a dramatic reputation in folklore as Japanese tradition suggests that the creatures are messengers from sea gods that appear before major disasters, particularly earthquakes or tsunamis. This ancient belief has earned them the nickname “doomsday fish”.
With two of the rarely seen animals appearing together, some people joked about what it might mean.
One X user wrote: "The ocean drops two literal harbingers of doom on the beach at Cabo, is it time to rethink that trip or just bring my doomsday kit and pretend everything is fine?"
Another person commented: "People say when they appear something bad happens, let's just hope they're late and everything bad has already happened."
Despite the long-standing folklore, scientists say there is no evidence that oarfish sightings are linked to earthquakes or other natural disasters, per the Indian Express.