Doomsday Fish Caught In Tamil Nadu: It Took Seven Men To Lift It But The Bigger Weight Is What It Might Mean

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In a bizarre and spine-tingling encounter, fishermen off the coast of Tamil Nadu hauled in a massive oarfish on May 30, 2025-a deep-sea creature often nicknamed the "Doomsday Fish." Measuring nearly 30 feet, the fish drew stunned crowds at the shore. But it wasn't until a video surfaced online in mid-June that the incident exploded into a full-blown internet sensation, igniting both wonder and widespread anxiety.

Photo Credit: https://www.instagram.com/thetatvaindia/

A Rare Visitor In Tamil Nadu

In late May 2025, fishermen off the southern coast of India caught a silver, serpentine fish measuring nearly 30 feet long. Known to marine biologists as an oarfish, this deep-sea creature is rarely seen alive, let alone this close to the shore. It took seven men to lift it for a photo-a moment that quickly spread across social media and reignited old fears.

For locals, this was no ordinary catch. In Japanese folklore, the oarfish is considered a messenger of seismic unrest, often surfacing before natural disasters. Its arrival in Tamil Nadu raised questions: why here, and why now?

More Sightings Across Continents

Just days after the Tamil Nadu incident, two oarfish were spotted in New Zealand: one found washed up near Dunedin, the other-headless-discovered on Birdlings Flat. Around the same time, a 3-metre-long specimen washed ashore on Tasmania's west coast, found by a resident who posted it online.

In February 2025, another sighting in Baja California Sur showed a disoriented oarfish repeatedly returning to the shore. By mid-June, four confirmed sightings had occurred across three continents. The pattern was too striking to ignore.

A Pattern Rooted In The Past

This isn't the first time oarfish have captured global attention. In 2010, several were found dead along Japan's coast-just months before the catastrophic 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami. In 2024, a 12-foot oarfish washed ashore near San Diego just two days before an earthquake rattled Los Angeles.

These coincidences have strengthened the belief that oarfish may sense geological shifts long before humans can. The science remains inconclusive, but the folklore has grown louder with every new appearance.

Science Or Superstition?

Marine biologists remain cautious. Some suggest that deep-sea disturbances-such as underwater earthquakes or thermal changes-might disorient oarfish, forcing them to surface. Others argue that these strandings may have nothing to do with tectonic activity and more to do with changes in ocean currents or pollution.

A study published in the Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America found no consistent correlation between oarfish sightings and earthquakes. Yet, the pattern-though anecdotal-still unsettles many.

Anatomy Of A Mythic Creature

Oarfish are the longest bony fish in the world, growing up to 38 metres (125 feet). With shimmering silver scales, a bright red dorsal fin, and eyes that seem too aware, they resemble the mythical sea serpents of ancient mariners' tales. They dwell at ocean depths between 200 and 1,000 metres and feed on plankton and small crustaceans. Harmless to humans, their presence near the surface is unusual and often short-lived.

In Japan, they're called ryugu no tsukai-the "messenger from the sea god's palace." This label, rooted in centuries-old lore, has taken on a new life in the digital age, where a single sighting can go viral in minutes.

Photo Credit: https://www.instagram.com/thetatvaindia/

Coincidence Or Clue?

So, what are we to make of the recent surge in sightings? With four appearances across the globe in just over a month, the oarfish has once again caught the world's imagination. Whether it's a misunderstood deep-sea wanderer or an overlooked piece of a larger puzzle, its rare presence demands attention.

Science says: coincidence. Folklore says: warning.

And for the rest of us? The oarfish remains a chilling proof that we've only scratched the surface of what lies beneath our oceans.