Overview
- A widely shared Instagram video shows two deep-sea oarfish floundering on a Cabo San Lucas beach, posted March 4 by witness Monica Pittenger.
- Bystanders, including Pittenger’s sister, pushed the fish back into the surf, and witnesses said both swam away.
- After online claims the clip was AI-generated, Pittenger publicly confirmed it was her real footage.
- Scientists cited in the reports say there is no evidence oarfish predict earthquakes or tsunamis, and no seismic activity has followed this sighting.
- Folklore that labels oarfish as “doomsday fish,” amplified by references to strandings before Japan’s 2011 disaster, helped fuel the viral reaction.