Kayaker Captures Rare Occurrence on Video While Along the Baja Coastline

A group of kayakers off the coast of Baja California, Mexico, was treated to not one but two rare sightings from the ocean deep.

Two oarfish, which are generally deep sea dwellers, were spotted and filmed by Tim Binder with the Shedd Aquarium, who was leading an adventure trip for some museum members.

Image source: YouTube

"It was one of the most stunningly beautiful fish I've ever seen," Binder, vice president of collection and planning, told National Geographic of the footage filmed in early March, posted to Shedd's YouTube channel Monday. 

"My God, look at the size of the thing," a woman taking video from a different angle said.

Image source: YouTube

Image source: YouTube

Watch the footage, which shows only one of the fish sightings:

Binder said both fish tried for about 30 minutes to beach themselves on the shore and eventually succeeded and died. Why the fish did this is unclear, but Binder noted that such behavior is not entirely unusual among the species, according to National Geographic.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration describes oarfish as the longest bony fish in the ocean. The fish are rare and are generally found in water up to 3,000 feet deep.

An 18-footer of the serpent-like fish was brought up by a snorkeler last year off the coast of Southern California.

(H/T: Tech Times)