Our local Oarfish Beaching Awareness Project (whatsapp group) recently passed the torch of collecting Oarfish beaching reports to the the Oarfish Research Group at CICIMAR in La Paz. Members helped develop an Oarfish poster, created by local, (award-winning) underwater film maker, Liisa Juunti. Thank you Liisa! The poster (below) has a QR Code and link that produces a report form for beach goers to report stranded Oarfish directly to the group at CICIMAR, a Marine Sciences research and graduate studies institution.
Beachings are on the rise. It’s that time of year. Please, try to keep this QR code reporting method in mind if you run across a beached Oarfish or your friends do. Share the poster and QR to help researchers gather data so we can learn more about this rare and truly bizarre, but beautiful fish.
If you encounter one that is deceased, contact researchers at whatsapp (+52 612 127 0143), they will come take samples of the fish for analysis. You can also report a sighting online here:
If you encounter an ALIVE but beached Oarfish, the poster suggests how to help it. Here’s a video that does the same. How to Rescue An Oarfish; in Spanish and English.
These filter feeding fish live at depths of 600-3000 ft. Why they get beached no one knows. Oarfish can be saved from being stranded on a beach. Here’s two videos that demonstrate this: Oarfish Rescue and Swimming with Oarfish. Here are the videos in Spanish! #1 & #2.
A quick note, my “Eyes on the Reef” campaign series is still on! I’ll be releasing a new video next week called, “Coral Bleaching Event- two years later,” updating the impacts from that 2023 event.
If you’re interested in going on a Coral Reef Tour with myself and Romina, a Marine Scientist, let me know. Contact: desertplayer@hotmail.com