Giant Oarfish Washes Up on Santa Catalina Island

The dead fish was about 15 feet long when it washed ashore and probably was about 10 feet longer before its tail was severed

An oarfish thought to be one of the largest seen in years on Santa Catalina Island washed ashore near the island community of Avalon this week.

The dead fish was about 15 feet long, about the length of a minivan, when it washed ashore and probably had been about 10 feet longer, according to marine experts. The fish, found at Pebbly Beach Monday morning, was missing its tail.

The mysterious creature, often associated with tales of sea monsters and serpents, is considered the longest type of bony fish -- as opposed to cartilage -- in the world. They are not scaly, but covered with a gelatinous blue-silver skin and feature a bright red dorsal fin.

The oarfish that washed ashore on the island about 30 miles off Long Beach was to be dissected so researchers can learn more about the species, said Annie MacAulay, president of Mountain and Sea Adventures. It's the third oarfish reported on the island.

"It's very exciting," MacAulay told The Orange County Register. "But then of course (I'm) very concerned because these are beautiful, huge creatures, and for some reason they’re dying."

An 18-foot-long oarfish washed ashore on Santa Catalina Island in October 2013 just days before a second one, measuring 14 feet, was found in Oceanside Harbor. In June, a 17-foot oarfish was found along the western shoreline of Santa Catalina Island.

Little is known about the giant fish because they swim in deep water.
 

Contact Us