WATCH — ‘Harbinger of Doom’: Divers Spot Rare, Giant Oarfish Off Taiwan Coast

Divers off the Northeast coast of Taiwan recorded an encounter with a massive oarfish, a sighting believed to spell disaster.

In Japanese folklore, the fish’s appearance is said to predict an earthquake or tsunami, Sky News reported Thursday.

The fish was spotted in the Ruifang District in Taipei, and the large holes in its body may have been suffered during a shark attack, according to NDTV.

Video footage shows the six-foot-long oarfish floating quietly as divers are seen nearby:

Bad omen? A huge, eerie-looking deep-sea creature known as the oarfish was spotted off the coast of Taiwan. It's seen as a warning of impending earthquakes or tsunamis. https://t.co/vvFhnz5YcZ pic.twitter.com/ckoDGk03Ws

— ABC7 Eyewitness News (@ABC7) July 20, 2023

Diving instructor Wang Cheng-ru recorded the clip. However, he does not believe the sighting predicted an earthquake.

“It must have been dying, so it swam into shallow waters,” he explained, adding, “Many amazing animals can be found off Taiwan’s Northeast coast, and the views under water are very beautiful, but it was my first encounter with a giant oarfish”:

Divers discover giant oarfish off coast of Taiwan, seen as symbol of impending disaster https://t.co/FyMbG0yxH8 pic.twitter.com/NMZGZUFci9

— Eyewitness News (@ABC7NY) July 20, 2023

Oarfish, which can grow longer than a school bus, are found in tropical to warm temperate latitudes and are often called “ribbonfish” and the “King of Herrings,” according to Oceana.

“They rarely come to the ocean surface, perhaps only when dying or disoriented, and occasionally wash up on beaches around their home range (all tropical to warm temperate seas),” the site continues:

Oarfish are likely the source of sea serpent myths that are part of most maritime cultures around the world. Some observers report that oarfish discovered at the sea surface often swim with their head and ornate “crown” out of the water as if they are searching for something. This curious behavior, the long snake-like body, and the relative rarity with which they are observed at the sea surface (most notably after large storms) all feed the belief that mythical sea serpents attack mariners or even entire ships in the open ocean. However, oarfish are quite harmless.

Meanwhile, Japanese culture has dubbed the oarfish a “messenger from the sea god’s palace” and believes it is a harbinger of doom, but scientists have argued over such claims.

Video footage from 2016 shows a diver approaching a ribbon-like, silvery oarfish and touching the creature:

“I think more people have seen the earth from space than have seen one of these this close,” the diver said, adding, “Such an outlandish-looking thing.”