Are the bodies of two giant sea serpents that washed up on Californian beach last week a sign of a looming major natural disaster? THE appearance of two rare sea serpents washing ashore beaches on the Southern California coast in the past week has prompted fears it could be a sign that a natural catastrophe is coming.
The giant oarfish were dead when they washed up on land, and some scientists believe they come ashore to die because they are 'in distress'.
The first sea monster, measuring 18 feet, was discovered by a woman snorkelling off the coast of Catalina Island on October 13. It took 16 people to drag it up onto the beach. The second silvery creature, measuring almost 14 feet, came just a few days later on October 18 in Oceanside, California. Oarfish, which can grow to more than 50 feet in length, are considered the longest bony fish in the world.
They typically dive more than 3,000 feet deep, which makes sightings rare and has fuelled various serpent legends throughout history. According to traditional Japanese folklore, oarfish rise to the water's surface before an impending earthquake. Scientists speculate it is because the bottom-dwelling fish are more sensitive to seismic shifts.
