A Rare and Mysterious Fish Surfaces in California: The 20th Discovered in the State Since 1901

😱 A group of brave individuals—kayakers and snorkelers—spotted a giant shape floating in the water during a trip near 😱 La Jolla Cove, California. 😱 😨

😱 They paddled towards the unknown creature to capture the encounter with this fascinating species. 😱 😨

You can read the full story and see more photos via the link in the comments

It was a regalecus glesne, commonly known as a king of herring or oarfish, a legendary species that typically lives in the depths of the ocean.

The Scripps Institution of Oceanography announced on its official Facebook page that only 20 oarfish have been found in California since 1901.

After their discovery, the five mariners contacted NOAA Fisheries and the California Sea Grant.

They then enlisted the help of passing surfers and lifeguards to bring the over three-and-a-half-meter-long sea monster to the beach.

The impressive length of this animal and its preference for depths between 200 and 900 meters surprises people.

These sea monsters occasionally come to the surface.

This behavior leads people to consider them as the origin of sea serpent legends.

Scientists will conduct a necropsy to determine the cause of its death. After the examination, the specimen will join the marine vertebrate collection.

It is one of the largest deep-sea fish collections in the world, where it will be studied further.

Notably, in 1963, an oarfish measuring 15.2 meters long was discovered off the coast of Asbury Park, New Jersey. This species was listed in the Guinness World Records as the longest bony fish.