World · Latin America · 3 hrs ago
Rare 16-foot oarfish washes ashore in northern Chile
A 16-foot oarfish washed ashore in Mejillones, northern Chile, on Tuesday.
Oarfish are deep-sea fish that usually live thousands of feet below the surface, so they are rarely seen on beaches.
In Japanese folklore, they are sometimes called “Doomsday fish” and linked to disasters, and the Chile sighting prompted online claims that an earthquake could follow.
Scientists have found no reliable link between oarfish sightings and natural disasters, despite stories connecting earlier sightings with earthquakes or volcanic activity.
The sighting comes after major earthquakes in South America and the Caribbean, but the fish does not provide evidence that another disaster is imminent.
No earthquake warning or forecast based on the sighting is reported.
A rare 16-foot oarfish washed ashore in Mejillones, northern Chile, on October 20.
The sighting prompted online claims that an earthquake or other disaster could be coming.
Scientists have found no significant link between oarfish appearances and natural disasters.
Oarfish usually live deep in the ocean, typically more than 3,000 feet below the surface.
The report also described earlier oarfish sightings in 2026 that were followed by earthquakes or volcanic activity.
- Who
- A giant oarfish, also known as a “Doomsday fish,” was found. The person or people who found it are not stated.
- What
- A 16-foot oarfish washed ashore.
- When
- October 20, 2026.
- Where
- A beach in Mejillones, in northern Chile.
- Why
- Not stated. The sighting prompted claims of an impending disaster, but scientists have found no significant link between oarfish appearances and natural disasters.
Online commenters and folklore believers
Scientists
Oarfish sightings as disaster warnings
Online commenters and folklore believers
Some commenters claimed the Chile sighting was a bad omen or a sign that an earthquake was coming.
Scientists
Scientists have found no significant link between oarfish appearances and natural disasters.
Two live oarfish washed ashore near Cabo San Lucas, Mexico.
A magnitude 4.1 earthquake was detected less than 15 miles from Cabo San Lucas.
A dead oarfish washed ashore on Indonesia’s Komodo Island.
Six volcanoes in Indonesia erupted or showed signs of eruptive activity.
A 16-foot oarfish washed ashore in Mejillones, northern Chile.
- Oarfish length
- 16 feet
- Discovery location
- Mejillones, northern Chile
- Discovery date
- October 20, 2026
- Typical depth
- More than 3,000 feet
- Study findings
- A 2019 study found no legitimate connection between deep-sea fish appearances and earthquakes
What people are saying
Not a good omen.
An earthquake is coming to the north.
The earthquake is coming!
Here we go again.