18-Foot Sea Creature Excites Scientists, Horrifies Everyone Else

From Living World:

Jasmine Santana's weekend snorkel outing off the coast of California turned from terrifying to titillating when she realized not only that the 18-foot-long sea monster she'd stumbled upon was dead, but also that it was a very rare oarfish. The Catalina Island Marine Institute, where Santana works as a science teacher, shared her excitement at the discovery of the giant oarfish, a mysterious, deep-sea dweller seldom seen near the coast. The huge creature is believed to have inspired tales of sea-serpents centuries ago.

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