Rare ‘Doomsday fish’ considered ‘bad omen’ found by kayakers

A rare deep-sea oarfish was discovered floating at La Jolla Cove, off the coast of California, by a group of kayakers on Saturday, 10 August.

The creature, which can grow up to 36ft long, is only the 20th fish of its kind to have washed up in the state since 1901, according to Scripps Institution of Oceanography scientist and fish expert Ben Frable.

In some cultures, the sighting of an oarfish is considered an omen of natural disasters.

This creature was discovered two days before a 4.4-magnitude earthquake struck California.