The 18-foot oarfish in all its shimmering rarity. Photo: AP // Catalina Island Marine Institute
Like spotting a unicorn-of-the-sea, a snorkeling instructor found an 18-foot shimmering oarfish in the shallows off Santa Catalina Island, California. Unlike unicorns, they actually do exist. However, they aren’t commonly seen because they dive over half a mile below sea level and rarely head for the shallows or surface.
On this day, Jasmine Santana enlisted the help of 15 people to drag this deceased bizarre animal to shore to be inspected. Santana believed she had to dry dock it in order for people to believe her fish story. She got all the proof she needed and the oarfish is buried in the sand until it decomposes. The bones will be used to reconstruct its skeleton and later be put on display.
It is said that the oarfish, the largest bony fish in the world, can grow to be upwards of 50 feet, weigh 600 pounds, and lives almost exclusively in deep water. They are mainly found in the eastern Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea. Due to their size and infrequent sighting, they are also potentially responsible for sea serpent folklore.
