Two seldom-seen deep-sea animals unexpectedly beached themselves in Mexico and, as the story goes, it’s a forewarning of trouble. Share Article Share Article Facebook X LinkedIn Reddit Bluesky Email Copy Link Link copied Bookmark
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In an unusual occurrence along the shore of Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, two notably scarce deep-water creatures, often called ‘omen fish’, were discovered in distress out of their natural environment, beached along the sandy coast.
Local beliefs suggest that the infrequently observed deep-sea ribbonfish is perceived to foreshadow adversity. The joint discovery of two such specimens may be interpreted as a significant sign of potentially calamitous events looming.
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The slender, ribbon-shaped fish is an elusive marine species, usually inhabiting depths of 1,000 metres (3,280 feet) and rarely appearing near the surface. These twin sightings of the uncommon oarfish represent an astonishingly rare and remarkable incident.
The extraordinarily rare sighting
Beach visitor Monica Pittenger, in collaboration with the account We Love Animals, initially shared the remarkable video footage she documented of the happening on Instagram on March 4, 2026, showing the two deep-sea fish visibly struggling on the shoreline, as reported by the Mirror.
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The video presents the oarfish having been carried ashore on the Mexican beach, as one of the unfortunate animals thrashes desperately outside of its watery realm.
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The camera angle then switches to the other side, revealing a second oarfish, also seemingly marooned between the waves and the sand.
A gathering gradually begins to form around the first omen fish, and one of the women in the video (later confirmed by Monica as her sister Katie) is seen kneeling down as she starts guiding the creature back towards the water. Shortly after, she gains support from additional onlookers, and together they successfully return the deep-sea oarfish to the ocean.
In the recording, Monica states: “I couldn’t believe it. It felt like something from a fantasy film. I had never witnessed anything like it before. I just kept thinking, is this actually happening?! And honestly, spotting the second one made me a bit apprehensive.”
Monica recounted how she and others in her group “noticed something far away” and shared that “It was reflecting light, and it was very intense.”
She continued: “And upon seeing them up close, it was unlike anything we’ve encountered, so we thought, ‘This must be a dream.'”
Monica detailed how her sister Katie “simply can’t bear to see any living being in pain” and acted on the distressing situation “extremely quickly” to help the creature return to the water. Katie quickly received assistance from a young girl, and ultimately more individuals joined the salvage operation.
Monica mentioned: “Just observing all these men standing by, and she [Katie] tosses me her phone and her beverage and her bag, and she’s like, ‘Here, hold these.'”
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“I believe many people were hesitant because no one truly knew what it was. It’s not an everyday occurrence. And, I mean, I don’t blame them.”
Following the successful return of the first oarfish to the sea, the impromptu rescue team allegedly moved towards the second fish, which was similarly aided back into the water by Katie and the assembly.
Concerns about the video’s potential use of AI promptly circulated widely (as is common in the present era). However, Monica confirmed the video’s validity in a comment beneath her original Instagram posting, addressing people questioning the video’s veracity: “It’s not AI! ! It’s my video.”
Why their appearance is causing alarm
Oarfish have the potential to reach lengths of up to 30 feet, and Japanese tradition suggests these deep-sea organisms are sent as messengers from sea deities as a premonition of impending misfortune in the form of natural disasters like tidal waves and seismic activity.
While the midwater-dwelling species have long been connected to tsunamis and earthquakes in folklore, scientists have not discovered tangible confirmation that their appearance, while scarce, is capable of foretelling natural calamities. According to Surfer, no seismic events have followed the ‘omen fish’ sighting thus far.
The enormous fish’s standing as a dark omen overshadows its actual harmless character, having historically been used as a symbol to predict actual natural catastrophes and ruinous disasters.
The internet has, understandably, reacted strongly to the sighting, with one X user posting: “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 social media user remarked: “Seeing the ‘omen fish’ at the surface is always an unsettling sight. Whether it’s seismic movement or shifting ocean currents, something in the deep is definitely changing. Nature is sending us a message we shouldn’t dismiss.”
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Furthermore, an X User contributed: “Two omen fish beaching themselves in rapid succession may be telling us something. Particularly since very few have beached themselves over the span of several centuries.”
Another user playfully wrote: “Two 20–30 ft oarfish basically doing a surprise beach cameo in Cabo? That’s not just unusual, it’s statistically ridiculous. Normally they hang out at 3,000 ft deep where it’s pitch black and completely peaceful. People pushing them back into the water like it’s a collaborative effort is adorable pandemonium.”