The recent capture of a legendary doomsday fish by a fisherman in the Philippines before a powerful earthquake rocked Taiwan has reignited ancient superstitions linking such sightings to impending disasters. The oarfish, a deep-sea dweller rarely seen by humans, is steeped in Japanese folklore and is believed to surface in shallow waters as a sign of imminent disaster. The Oarfish was hooked just 30 hours before the seismic event rocked the neighbouring island nation.
According to a report by the Mirror, Brenjeng Caayon, the fisherman who caught the doomsday fish near Kalanggaman Island, approximately 900 miles south of the earthquake’s epicentre, attributes the encounter to more than mere coincidence. Weighing in at 15 kg and measuring nearly five feet long, the creature was recognised by Caayon, who recounted how he and his crew initially mistook the unusual fish before realising its significance, leading them to bring it ashore instead of tossing it back into the sea.
As news of the oarfish sighting circulated, so did the notion of its ominous significance, echoing past instances where similar encounters were purportedly followed by catastrophic earthquakes. The 7.4 magnitude quake that shook Taiwan, claiming nine lives and injuring over 900, further fueled speculation surrounding the legendary creature’s supposed predictive powers. While some find solace in folklore, others, like ecological seismologist Kiyoshi Wadatsumi, have sought scientific explanations for the phenomenon.
Despite assertions that deep-sea creatures may possess a heightened sensitivity to tectonic movements, a 2019 study failed to establish a conclusive correlation between oarfish sightings and seismic activity, dismissing the legend as a superstition born from coincidental associations. The mysterious nature of the oarfish, shrouded in ancient beliefs and scientific inquiry, continues to captivate imaginations, leaving room for both scepticism and wonder in the face of nature’s enigmatic signs.
