Rare deep sea oarfish known as 'harbinger of doom' spotted off Taiwan coast

Divers off the northeast coast of Taiwan have filmed a rare encounter with a giant oarfish with large holes in its body.

According to Japanese folklore, the appearance of the deep sea creature can signal an imminent earthquake or tsunami.

The footage, captured by diving instructor Wang Cheng-ru off the coast of Ruifang, shows divers encircling the huge, shimmery silver fish.

Despite the legend - he does not think its appearance was a precursor to an earthquake.

"It must have been dying so it swam into shallow waters," he told Newsweek.

"Many amazing animals can be found off Taiwan's northeast coast, and the views under water are very beautiful, but it was my first encounter with a giant oarfish."

He added the visible bite marks on the fish may have been the result of a cookiecutter shark attack.

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Giant oarfish can grow up to 50-feet-long and are usually found 3,000ft below water.

In Japan, the giant oarfish is known as the "messenger from the sea god's palace". They are said to be the harbinger of doom. But scientists dispute these ideas.

In February 2019, the washing up of three giant oarfish on Japan's shores sparked fears of an impending earthquake or tsunami.