Overview

• Oarfish are deep-sea creatures rarely seen on the surface, with less than 25 sightings in Southern California over the past century.
• The latest specimen, measuring around 10 feet, was found at Grandview Beach in Encinitas by a Scripps Institution of Oceanography PhD candidate.
• Researchers are exploring potential causes for these strandings, including changes in ocean conditions, climate patterns like El Niño, and recent red tides.
• Oarfish are often associated with myths predicting natural disasters, though there is no scientific evidence linking them to events like earthquakes.
• The specimens are preserved for further study at the Scripps Marine Vertebrate Collection to better understand their biology and life history.