Rare Video Shows "Sea Serpent" Oarfish in Shallow Water
Bizarre deep-sea oarfish are filmed off Baja California.
A pair of rarely seen, bizarre deep-sea creatures, thought to have been the inspiration for historic tales of "sea serpents," were captured on a video (see above) posted online Monday.
The footage, filmed by staff from Chicago's Shedd Aquarium, shows two giant oarfish (Regalecus glesne) swimming near a beach in shallow water in Baja, California.
"It was one of the most stunningly beautiful fish I've ever seen," says Tim Binder, vice president of collection and planning for the Shedd Aquarium, who recorded much of the video. It was shot in early March in a remote area north of La Paz, near Isla San Francisco.
The giant oarfish is the world's longest bony fish and can reach a length of 56 feet (17
