Overview
- The footage, recorded by American sisters Monica and Katie Pittenger, circulated widely on social media and was picked up by international outlets.
- Reports identify the fish as Regalecus glesne, a deep‑water species typically found near 900 meters and known to reach lengths of roughly 3 to 11 meters.
- Witnesses estimated the Cabo specimens at nearly nine meters, and bystanders succeeded in returning both animals to the ocean.
- Folklore—particularly in Japan, where oarfish are called ryugu no tsukai—links appearances to earthquakes or tsunamis, but researchers say no causal link is supported, including a statistical review by the Seismological Society of America.
- Experts point to natural causes such as illness, disorientation, shifting currents, storms or temperature anomalies, and outlets note the exact date of the encounter has not been confirmed.