Are California's giant dead oarfish a sign of an impending earthquake disaster?

by: STAFF WRITERS

From: news.com.au

October 23, 2013 8:57AM

 

IS THE discovery of rare "sea serpents" off the coast of California at the weekend a sign of an impending disaster?

Carcasses of two of the sea snake-like creatures, of 5.5m and 4.2m in length respectively, were discovered washed up along the state's coast last week.

According to Japanese folklore the so-called 'monsters of the deep' rise to the surface of the ocean and beach themselves to warn of a coming earthquake, CBS Los Angeles reports.

Oarfish are known as the ‘Messenger from the Sea God’s Palace’ in Japanese mythology.

In the months before the Fukushima earthquake disaster, over a dozen slender oarfish washed ashore or were caught by fisherman on the country's northern coast near the quake's epicentre.

"Japan is bracing itself after dozens of rare giant oarfish - traditionally the harbinger of a powerful earthquake - have been washed ashore or caught in fisherman's nets," the UK's Daily Telegraph reported at the time.

The March 11 2011 earthquake and tsunami caused more than 15,000 deaths, according to Japanese emergency agencies.

The damaged Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant went into meltdown.

Scientists, however, disagree with the ancient fable and say there is no scientific relationship between sightings and seismic activity.

"It's probably just a coincidence," Rick Feeney, a zoologist at the US Natural History museum said.

 

http://www.perthnow.com.au/news/are-californias-giant-dead-oarfish-a-sign-of-an-impending-earthquake-disaster/story-e6frg12c-1226744930564

 

 

Ryan Hardy