The so-called “doomsday serpent fish” was recently spotted off the coast of San Diego, California. A group of snorkelers saw the 12-foot-long fish floating dead on the water’s surface in La Jolla Cove, and the Scripps Institution of Oceanography is examining the body. The fish is often associated with impending doom, and some believe its appearance is a warning that a natural disaster is on its way. Experts insist, however, that there is no evidential proof that the legend has any founding in reality.
Nevertheless, its presence off the California coast comes at a time when earthquakes are frequently felt in the Golden State and concerns are growing that a significant event is imminent.
For instance, a 4.4 magnitude earthquake shook Los Angeles just days before the ominous sea creature was spotted. The quake’s epicenter was at Highland Park, just a couple of miles from downtown LA, but luckily, there were no reports of fatalities or major structural damage. The Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) described the quake as “significant” and warned of powerful aftershocks.
Experts say the Golden State is experiencing its highest number of small earthquakes for decades, and while predicting major incidents is not definitive, some people are fearful that a “big one” will come.
Cal Tech geophysicist Dr. Lucy Jones confirmed that “2024 has had more earthquakes than any year we’ve seen since 1988,” adding that there are common misconceptions surrounding high numbers of small-magnitude quakes. Some people believe small quakes allow tension in the earth’s plates to release, making larger events less likely, but Dr. Jones states that the opposite is true.
She said that if the number of small quakes increases, the possibility of a larger one also goes up. “The most constant feature of earthquakes is the relative number of large to small,” she said.
Scientists believe that if California does experience an earthquake with a magnitude higher than seven, it could kill around 2,000 people, injure more than 15,000, and cause roughly $200 billion in damage. The last quake registered above seven was in 1999, but it went largely unnoticed because of its remote location.
