{"id":1000499,"date":"2026-08-14T15:29:22","date_gmt":"2026-08-14T15:29:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/1000499\/"},"modified":"2026-08-14T15:29:22","modified_gmt":"2026-08-14T15:29:22","slug":"tour-guide-captures-rare-footage-of-doomsday-fish-swimming-at-the-surface","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/1000499\/","title":{"rendered":"Tour Guide Captures Rare Footage Of \u2018Doomsday Fish\u2019 Swimming At The Surface"},"content":{"rendered":"

Earlier this year, expedition leader Isabelle Nelson Morales<\/a> set out on an ocean safari, expecting to encounter some dolphins, whales or sharks. But toward the end of the trip, something unusual caught her eye.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe just saw this huge shiny thing in the water that I had never seen before \u2026 I literally had no idea what it was,\u201d Nelson Morales told The Dodo.<\/p>\n

Nelson Morales watched in awe and confusion as an extremely long, silver fish swam along the surface of the water. The captain identified the animal as an oarfish, a deep-sea animal who typically lives between 600 to 3,000 feet below the surface.<\/p>\n

Isabelle Nelson Morales<\/p>\n

\u201cWe usually encounter a lot of different species \u2026 But the oarfish was one I never imagined,\u201d Nelson Morales said.<\/p>\n

Nelson Morales and the other boat passengers observed the oarfish swim around in circles, occasionally dipping back into deeper waters then resurfacing. When they saw that the fish seemed relatively calm, they got in the water to take a closer look from a respectful distance.<\/p>\n

\u201c[I]t was super comfortable with us,\u201d Nelson Morales said. \u201cIt kept coming straight at us, basically, and we were dodging it.\u201d<\/p>\n

When the encounter was over and Nelson Morales returned to shore, she couldn\u2019t stop thinking about the oarfish. She immersed herself in research and learned that oarfish are unique not only because of the depth at which they live, but also because of their size.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s the longest bony fish in the world,\u201d Nelson Morales said. \u201cThis one specifically was between [13 to 16 feet], so pretty big, but they can reach up to [26 feet].\u201d<\/p>\n

Nelson Morales also learned that in Japanese folklore, the deep-sea animals are called \u201cdoomsday fish\u201d because they\u2019re thought to be harbingers of tsunamis and earthquakes. But Nelson Morales felt so lucky to get to see such an elusive animal that she couldn\u2019t bring herself to see the encounter as a bad omen.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s actually just a myth that they are bad omens or that they can predict natural disasters,\u201d Nelson Morales said. \u201cSo for me, it was just a very good omen that I\u2019m in the right place, right time, doing what I love.\u201d<\/p>\n

Isabelle Nelson Morales<\/p>\n

Because oarfish live in such deep waters, it\u2019s exceptionally rare for people to see them, let alone document their appearance and behavior. Unfortunately, when they are spotted at the surface, it often means they\u2019re sick or reaching the end of their lives. Still, Nelson Morales felt fortunate to get to capture such rare footage of a rare animal who\u2019s not very well-understood.<\/p>\n

\u201cTo find them alive and to actually be able to know about their behavior, that hasn\u2019t happened a lot of times,\u201d Nelson Morales said.<\/p>\n

One might think that a deep-sea animal would look strange, but everyone on the boat was astonished by the oarfish\u2019s beauty. With their shiny crest and elongated, petal-like fins, the animal was pure grace and elegance.<\/p>\n

Isabelle Nelson Morales<\/p>\n

\u201c[I]t\u2019s a very beautiful animal, and there\u2019s no reason to be scared of them or think they\u2019re creepy or anything,\u201d Nelson Morales said.<\/p>\n

To keep up with Nelson Morales, you can follow her on Instagram<\/a>.\"Prehistoric<\/a>Prehistoric Fish Gets Trapped In A Pedal Boat \u2014 Then A Fisherman Spots Her”These animals have been around for a long, long time …”<\/a>