Friday, October 12, 2012

Update on Oarfish

Medano beach and the surrounding area is a Protected Natural Area, they have park wardens patrolling the area and these are the guys that took the oarfish away. Being a bit over-zealous, they zipped to the beach in panga, unceremoniously loaded the fish on board, took it out two miles and dumped it in the sea! So the scientisits will not be getting the tissue samples they requested. They did mention to us that they had seen another oar fish in the area of the Hotel Hacienda, so maybe we will see another one wash up  in the next few hours. Now that would be something, two in the same day!

Sea Monster Washes Up On Main Beach - Actually it is an Oarfish


Onlookers were stunned by this strange fish.
 
Around 10.15 this morning, Roberto Gonzalez a realtor from Pisces Real Estate, was working very hard, sitting under an umbrella on the main beach of Cabo -El Medano at an open house we are hosting today at Hacienda. He was right in front of Villa 2 when he saw a commotion on the beach and a small crowd gathered at the water's edge. His first thought was, "there's been an accident" then he saw three locals supporting what appeared to him as a monster from the deep. He ran down to get a closer look and saw them  assisting the strange creature, which appeard to be in distress as it struggled for air. The local beach guys, were helping the fish to float, but it continued to drift towards the beach. It really was a sight, being about twenty feet long, silver colored with spots and a bright orange dorsal fin.
Once ashore, it was put back in the water, but Roberto could tell it was not going to last long. A panga from the Protected Areas department came and took it away. We have contacted scientists in La Paz to advise them and they will come and pick it up for studies to be made. These are deep water fish, rarely seen, unless they are dying. This is the first we have heard of to ever wash up on the main beach of Cabo though.
This is what it looked like in the water



This close up shows what appears to be its air bladder in its mouth.