Rare oarfish washes ashore in Vietnam’s Vinh Hy Bay, buried by locals

Nguyen Thanh Chau, head of Vinh Hy Hamlet in Vinh Hai Commune, Ninh Hai District, confirmed on Monday that the oarfish was discovered on Sunday by staff of a local tourist resort.

The deep-sea fish had lost its tail and was struggling in the shallow water.

Although two staff members promptly returned it to the sea, the fish swam back to the shore and died shortly after.

Chau confirmed this was the first time an oarfish had washed ashore in the area.

Following the fish’s death, residents and resort staff members held a burial for the animal in line with local customs.

Footage of the rare event circulated widely on social media, drawing thousands of views and shares.

Local fishermen said that oarfish typically inhabit deep waters and rarely approach the coastline, making this a highly unusual sighting.

Some observers linked the fish’s appearance to folklore associating oarfish with impending natural disasters such as earthquakes or tsunamis.

These creatures usually dwell at depths of around 1,000 meters.

Though widely believed in some cultures, especially in Japan, there is no conclusive scientific evidence supporting this theory.

The myth gained renewed attention following the devastating 2011 earthquake and tsunami in Japan’s Fukushima, where numerous oarfish sightings were reported in the two years leading up to the disaster.

In July 2023, a giant oarfish was also spotted by fishermen in Taiwan.