Two 'incredibly rare' sea serpents seen in Southern California waters months apart

A dead oarfish, an "incredibly rare" creature considered a symbol of impending doom in Japanese folklore, was recently spotted along the Southern California coast just months after another surfaced in a different location.

The first oarfish was recovered in August by a group of "sciencey" kayakers and snorkelers swimming at La Jolla Cove in San Diego while the other was spotted ashore Grandview Beach in Encinitas last week by Alison Laferriere, PhD candidate at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the University of California, San Diego.

The oarfish in Encinitas was "smaller" than the one observed in San Diego, measuring between 9 and 10 feet, Scripps said in a news release. The deep-sea fish are considered "incredibly rare" since less than 25 have been seen in Southern California waters in over a century, Ben Frable, Scripps' in-house fish expert and a museum scientist, previously shared with USA TODAY.

The elusive specimen, like the one collected in August, will undergo a necropsy to determine cause of death and later be preserved for future study, becoming part of the Scripps’ Marine Vertebrate Collection, one of the largest collections of deep-sea fish in the world.

"We took samples and froze the specimen awaiting further study and final preservation in the Marine Vertebrate Collection," Frable said in a statement. “Like with the previous oarfish, this specimen and the samples taken from it will be able to tell us much about the biology, anatomy, genomics and life history of oarfishes.”

Oarfish sightings may signal 'changes' in ocean conditions, scientist says

Scientists are unable to theorize the reason why the oarfish, let alone two, have washed ashore in the last few months, saying that each specimen collected provides a unique opportunity to learn more about the species.

Especially since there is more than one variable at play in both "strandings," including shifts in the climate patterns of El Niño and La Niña, Frable said.

“It may have to do with changes in ocean conditions and increased numbers of oarfish off our coast. Many researchers have suggested this as to why deep-water fish strand on beaches," Frable said. "This wash-up coincided with the recent red tide and Santa Ana winds last week but many variables could lead to these strandings.”

Many regions in California, including Encinitas and La Jolla, have been classified as Marine Protected Areas, where taking organisms is prohibited.

Should you encounter a unique creature on a Southern California beach, you are encouraged to alert lifeguards and contact the Scripps Institution of Oceanography by phone at (858)-534-3624 or via email at [email protected].

Oarfish are an omen of impending disaster, Japanese folklore says

The belief that the sight of an oarfish in shallow waters is an omen of an impending earthquake dates back to 17th century Japan, according to reporting by Atlas Obscura.  The fish, also known as “ryugu no tsukai,” were believed to be servants of the sea god Ryūjin, according to Japanese folklore. 

It’s believed that “Ryugu no tsukai,” which translates to “messenger from the sea god’s palace,” were sent from the palace toward the surface to warn people of earthquakes, according to previous USA TODAY reporting.

There were multiple sightings of the fish reported ahead of the 2011 Tohoku earthquake and Fukishima nuclear disaster, but there is no scientific evidence to suggest that the two events are connected, Hiroyuki Motomura, a professor of ichthyology at Kagoshima University, told the New York Post.

“I believe these fish tend to rise to the surface when their physical condition is poor, rising on water currents, which is why they are so often dead when they are found,” Motomura told the Post. 

The “connection” between the two might have to do with the fact that the shimmery creature typically lives in the deep sea, dwelling anywhere between 700 and 3,280 feet below the surface, USA TODAY reported. And it rarely comes up to the surface. 

These majestic creatures have been spotted in waters all over the world, with sightings reported in California, Maine, New Jersey, Taiwan and Japan, of course. 

Contributing: James Powel