Viral video: Super rare, serpent-like creature washes up on NZ beach; took five people to hold it

Just days after a massive 13-foot oarfish took the internet by storm after washing up on a Mexican beach, another large oarfish has been spotted in a different part of the world.
A massive oarfish

Extremely rare oarfish washes up on beach Credit: Twitter/@_seachange

KEY HIGHLIGHTS
  • The creature was actually first spotted by a local, Isaac Williams.
  • A video shared online shows the creature lurking in shallow waters. A man was heard saying in the background: "It feels like a shark."
  • This species of oarfish is extremely rare. Encounters with humans only happen when they wash up on beaches.
Just days after a massive 13-foot oarfish took the internet by storm after washing up on a Mexican beach, another large oarfish has been spotted in a different part of the world.
This time, it is an extremely rare and giant serpent-like oarfish that washed up on a beach in New Zealand.
The rare creature was checked on by a marine biologist at Dunedin Beach.
The creature was actually first spotted by a local, Isaac Williams.
Dr Bridie Allan, of the University of Otago, investigated the mysterious discovery and identified it was an oarfish. “It wouldn’t have survived, there is no way. I’ve seen enough dead fish know it was on its last legs," said Dr Allan.
"So I went and took a look. That's when I identified the fish. They are super rare. This is about the fifth sighting in New Zealand," said Dr Bridie Allan.
A video shared online shows the creature lurking in shallow waters. A man was heard saying in the background: "It feels like a shark."
Oarfish are large, greatly elongated, pelagic lampriform fish belonging to the small family Regalecidae.
According to Dr Allan, it is not a good sign for an oarfish to be floating in the shallow waters of Aramoana Beach.
Following the discovery, she noted the fish was alive but distressed.
This species of oarfish is extremely rare. Encounters with humans only happen when they wash up on beaches.
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