Isla San Marcos Sea Story 09-01-07 ¡OARFISH!
Sea Story~
Aye… she be sliver, A fin of fire…. Like a big dragon… A Serpent from the depths of hell it be.
Likely heard commonly during early days of exploring the world’s seas. So the story goes. No story here… look I’m just going to tell a short version, cause it was about 15 minutes elapsed time. In route about to pass the west lighthouse rocks heading back to the dock. And like all the rides back home… I’m always looking for fishy signs. That’s when I saw something…. Two things appeared to be swimming toward the shallows. Was it a diver pulling a float?? Don’t think so, colors were strange, somewhat alien looking shape too.
Closer look was in order. That’s when I saw what it was. OAR FISH! Two oar fish just swimming in the shallows, why? What took place in the next 15 minutes, somewhat explained what was happing. One of the oar fish beached it’s self on a tide pool rock and the other swam behind it. This fish… which lives in the Abyss of most oceans and is rarely seen on the surface, most specimens are found washed up on shore after big storms. They must come to the shallows to see the light of the sun maybe the first time… before they succumb. I did try to move one of the fish back out to deeper water, but to no avail. It was somewhat sad watching an episode like that take place and nothing you can do. Then again maybe that is the ultimate plan! We’re not to do anything and let things take their natural course.
The Photos pretty much describe the events that took place and here they are.... Enjoy~
The mysterious shapes on the surface moving for the shallows of the West Light House point off Isla San Marcos B.S.C. Mexico. I took this photo at 500 meters with a 70mm lenses.
On closer inspection... it was clear as to what was swimming. Two Oarfish (hard to scale),but they where both over 20 feet in lenght. Largest ones I've seen to date in my waters. (two other encounters in the past 16 years)
As the journey nears it's end.... a gasp of air and a look at the surface world.
To our total surprise the oarfish began lifting it's self on to the tidepool rock. Like a Chinese Dragon come to life.
At this point we too were on the same rock with the boat. I made an effort to push the fish back into water, but to no avail.
Just has to be the strangest fish ever. Check the blue blotches out... they were flashing on and off like the way a Marlin lights up when it's excited and ready to eat. Simply amazing! However sad that such a beautiful animal should have to succumb.
This photo helps give some scale to the size of the oarfish (smaller of the two) My son Michael and friend Carlos Garces.
Micheal and the Dragon.... larger of the two taken from the backside of the rock, fish had died durning the same time the other was beaching it's self.
aye.... she be a Dragon! (9 meters long. weight?) We too both oarfish back to the dock for photo records and sizing. Here are also two other records of oarfish at Isla San Marcos.
Oarfish
Regalecus glesne September 1th 2007 Isla San Marcos B.C.S. Mexico
Oarfish
Regalecus glesne December 26th 1993 Isla San Marcos B.C.S. Mexico
Oarfish
Regalecus glesne July 21th 1998 Isla San Marcos B.C.S. Mexico