Over 300 years ago, the first rumors of a fish that can predict a natural disaster’s occurrence began. The “Doomsday” fish’s appearance was legendary, and it has only been seen before a major global natural disaster.  

The oarfish, also known as the ribbon fish, is a long and bony fish that can grow up to 30 feet in length! These creatures tend to primarily live in the deep ocean’s mesopelagic zone, hundreds of meters below the surface. It is extremely rare to see an oarfish, much less 20 off of the coast of Japan! In 2011, the ribbon fish made its debut on the shores of Japan, months before the 9.1 magnitude earthquake in Japan. This was shocking given the history of the oarfish.

An old Japanese folk story states that the oarfish, known as “ryugu no tsukai” or “messenger from the sea god’s palace”, is a warning of impending natural disasters like earthquakes or tsunamis. This myth dates back to the 17th century, and the legend states that oarfish live under the islands of Japan, and only come out to warn the people of the island if they are in danger. Many mariners and fishermen have known the oarfish as a “herald of woe” for hundreds of years. 

Yet can a fish really predict the future?  Well, the scientific answer is no. oarfish do not have magical powers and cannot predict the future. 

Yet Sophia Jones (11) states that “I personally believe in superstition. I know it is scientifically impossible yet, some things just can’t be proven by science. For me, oarfish are one of those things that can’t be proven.”

On the other hand, Agnes Lee (11) tells us otherwise. “It’s not possible! oarfish can’t predict the future! It’s just a fish and a made up story.”

In the past few months, oarfish have begun to show up on the coast of California. This surprising appearance raises an important question, is something coming? In August of 2024, the first oarfish showed up on the coast of La Jolla. In November two more showed up, one on Encinitas Beach and another on Huntington Beach. Scientists are studying these oarfish to understand their behavior and potential causes for their surfacing. According to Japanese Folklore, these sightings are predicting a large-scale natural disaster such as an earthquake, but there has yet to be any signs of this occurring.

Is the “Doomsday” fish trying to tell us something? Or is it just another silly folk tale?