Pair of massive "doomsday fish" wash ashore in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, turning a normal beach day for vacationers into a strange omen: '[Oarfish] typically surface before a major disaster'

Blake Seidel • Managing Editor & Brand Manager

Mar 10, 2026 2:00 PM EDT

Well, that settles it - the end of the world is near.

We're not usually into all of this voodoo-mysticism drama. We do believe in karma, but karma is more of a justice thing, not a foretelling of the end of the world as we know it. But it has been hard to ignore all the signs that have been popping up recently: natural disasters happening more frequently, invasions of foreign countries, and more and more illnesses surfacing that we weren't aware of and aren't prepared for. It kind of feels like the end of times. And now, we have proof that it really is.

Well, by proof, we mean a mysterious omen brought about by a very rare deep-sea fish, called an oarfish.

These massive, eel-like fish are rarely seen in person. Because of their strange appearance and rare sightings, they have achieved a somewhat legendary reputation. According to Japanese folklore, oarfish are sometimes called "Messenger from the Sea God's Palace", because some people believe they appear near the surface before earthquakes or tsunamis.

While no science has actually verified that, between their creepy appearance and the fact that they swam all the way up from 1,000 meters below sea level, we have to think that their coming is some sort of sign.

The vacationers who discovered these two "doomsday fish" on the beach were obviously shocked, but they courageously tried to help them back in the water (we can't say we would have done the same… they look very disgusting to touch).

Do you think these fish bring some sort of cryptic message? Or were they just coming up to say hello to humanity?

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After seeing these things up close and personal, we definitely understand why sailors used to think there were sea monsters. In fact, they look like the “shrieking eels” from The Princess Bride. If you haven't seen The Princess Bride, you must immediately stop whatever you're doing and go watch it right now. It is the best movie of all time.
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We're all for helping others, but you couldn't pay us to touch that fish. Not a chance. It looks so slimy and wriggly, just thinking about it gives us chills. No, thank you. Maybe if someone gave us gloves, we would help.
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