"We really got an oarfish sighting before GTA 6": Social media jokes about the doomsday fish appearing in Mexico

An oarfish decided to crash a beach in Playa El Quemado, Baja California Sur, Mexico. No warning—just an unexpected deep-sea visitor making an entrance.

Robert Hayes, the person who managed to keep himself together long enough to record the moment, captured the fish’s entrance.

The oarfish lifted its head above water, then promptly ignored all attempts to be redirected and just kept coming back. Speaking with Storyful, Hayes said:

"The fish swam straight at us, lifting its head above the water about two inches. We redirected it three times out to the water, but it came back each time."

One local declared this was the smallest one he’d ever seen, per Fox Weather.

(Post via X/@FearedBuck)

Now, you would assume that people would be frightened or engaged in scholarly discussions about the possibilities, but on the contrary, they are occupied with jokes. Perhaps doomsday fish appeared to warn us that this generation is indeed doomed.

One X user, setting the priorities straight, commented:

"We really got an oarfish sighting before GTA 6"

Someone should give Rockstar Games a wake-up call at this point.

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One sus user asked:

"And someone just so happened to be there to watch it come ashore and recording? 🤔"

We mean... yes. There is a substantial probability that someone will be at a beach at some point. Why is it so sus?

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Another user noted:

"Kinda weird that deep see creatures are going up…. I wonder what’s scaring them down there."

We'd suppose that humans doing human things up here are scaring them down there, but who knows?

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One user suggested:

"Well send it back. We don’t have time for disasters right now."

Okay, let us know when you're free for one.

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A user reminded us all:

"The world ended in 2012 tho remember?"

Oh, totally forgot! We’ve been too busy dealing with the zombie apocalypse.

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One user tried to joke, saying:

"That's a pokemon !! Catch em' all."

Thanks for the life-altering revelation!

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Meanwhile, one hopeful user mentioned:

"So this probably means the vikings aren't going to win the super bowl next year."

If there is a "next year," after all, we'll leave that to the Minnesota Vikings.

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The doomsday fish theory

In Japan, oarfish go by “ryugu no tsukai,” or “the messenger from the sea dragon god’s palace.”

And if that wasn’t ominous enough, they’re also known as the “doomsday fish.”

Legend has it that when these guys show up, an earthquake is right around the corner. This gained some credibility (or conspiracy status) in 2011 when about 20 oarfish washed up just months before Japan’s most powerful earthquake.

Scientists, however, say that this was just a pure coincidence.

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So, why are these fish surfacing?

If you see an oarfish flopping around on shore, don’t panic unless you want to.

Typically, they only rise to the surface when they’re injured, disoriented, or on their way out.

Scientists believe changes in ocean currents, storms, or underwater disturbances could be the culprits.

Meanwhile, Rachel Grant, who actually studies this stuff, suggests that electrostatic charges from seismic activity could be releasing toxic compounds into the water and forcing these poor fish to make an unwanted surface debut.

Grant told the Independent in 2013:

"It's theoretically possible because when an earthquake occurs there can be a build-up of pressure in the rocks which can lead to electrostatic charges that cause electrically-charged ions to be released into the water."

"This can lead to the formation of hydrogen peroxide, which is a toxic compound. The charged ions can also oxidize organic matter which could either kill the fish or force them to leave the deep ocean and rise to the surface."

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What even is an Oarfish?

(Post via X/@suayrez)

For those who don’t have a PhD in fish trivia, the giant oarfish (Regalecus glesne) is the world’s longest-bony fish. And when they say “giant,” they mean it—these things can reach up to 36 feet (11 meters).

Usually, they lurk between 650 and 3,300 feet deep, far away from our land-dwellers. They’re found all over the world, except in the polar regions. Even these eldritch horrors aren’t trying to freeze their fins off.

Oarfish have long, silvery, mirror-like bodies and red dorsal fins. They don’t even have teeth—just slurping up krill, plankton, and crustaceans.

As far as their swimming style is concerned, they undulate their dorsal fins while keeping their bodies dead-straight, a move known as amiiform swimming.

According to USA Today, at least three different oarfish sightings occurred in Southern California in 2024, but all three were discovered dead.

The fish was discovered alive this time in Mexico, which is an uncommon occurrence.