TACLOBAN CITY– A dead oarfish was washed ashore in Baybay City, Leyte on Wednesday afternoon.
The oarfish that was discovered on the shore of Barangay Guadalupe at about 5 pm was estimated to be about five feet in length and 20 kilograms.
Reyvan Salubre, a resident of the village that is seven kms away from the city proper, said that he was shocked to see the oarfish washed in their area, a coastal village facing the Ormoc Bay.
“Of course, I was shocked. It was my first time to see such a big fish in my life,” he said in an interview through the private message application.
According to him, the oarfish was already dead when they saw it but a fisherman took it and brought it with him.
“We don’t have any information where he brought the oarfish and what he did with it,” Salubre, a social media content creator, said.
And just like some, Salubre also believes that an oarfish that is seen on the surface of a beach will result to a disaster like an earthquake.
He, however, was quick to say that he hope that this will not happen.
“Based on what I have read, oarfish is a bad omen for a disaster to come. But I hope this will not come true. In fact, there was no panic in our community when the oarfish was discovered,” Salubre.
Based on the Japanese mythology, an oarfish that is washed on the beach is said to signal a major disaster like an earthquake or tsunami.
In 2020, a dead oarfish was also discovered on the beach of Brgy. Santo Rosario.
(JOEY A. GABIETA)
