As a marine science instructor at Catalina Island Marine Institute (CIMI), Jasmine Santana is quite familiar with under-the-sea creatures. But even she got the shock of her life when she caught the eyes of a rare, 18-foot oarfish while going for a snorkel with colleagues. Noticing it was dead, the researcher brought the enormous carcass to shore with the help of 14 other people, and then realized her amazing discovery.
The eel-like creature may have been the largest fish the CIMI instructors have seen, but since oarfish are the largest bony fish in the world, 18 feet is nothing compared to the 56 feet they can reach. In a statement, CIMI expressed the significance of Santana's finding saying, "Oarfish are found in all temperate to tropical waters, but are rarely seen, dead or alive. It is believed that oarfish dive over 3,000 feet deep, which leaves them largely unstudied, and little is known about their behavior or population."
According to Mark Waddington, the captain of the CIMI school vessel that aided Santana, the fish's carcass is currently being preserved in ice, and tissue samples are being sent to marine scientists at the University of California for studying. Once decomposed, the skeleton will most likely remain at the Institute for teaching purposes.
This isn't the first time a mysterious sea serpent made headlines. This past August, a 13-foot creature washed up on a beach in Spain. While locals described it as everything from a "mutant fish" to a "horned sea monster," marine scientists believe that too was an oarfish.
What do you think of Santana's amazing discovery? Share your thoughts in the comments below.