The fish was a juvenile king-of-the-salmon ribbonfish (Trachipterus altivelis), not a salmon or an oarfish. Diver Ted Judah encountered it near the surface at McAbee Beach in Monterey Bay on December 30, 2025; a Monterey Bay Aquarium marine biologist later identified it from his images.
What the diver saw
Judah was diving near McAbee Beach when unusually clear water led him to look below the surface. He described an elongated, silvery fish about 8 or 9 inches long, according to SFGATE’s account published January 2, 2026.
The fish held itself upright and moved both vertically and horizontally. When Judah tried to view it broadside, it often rotated to present its narrowest profile. He recorded the encounter on a GoPro, watched for roughly three minutes, and then moved away to give the animal space.
“It was like he knew how to be invisible,” Judah told SFGATE.
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How the fish was identified
Kevin Lewand, a Monterey Bay Aquarium marine biologist, identified the animal as a juvenile king-of-the-salmon after sharing the images with ichthyologists. The species belongs to the ribbonfish group. Despite its common name, it is not a salmon.
Its long, laterally compressed body can make it resemble an oarfish in photographs, but the aquarium’s identification was specifically Trachipterus altivelis.
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Why this encounter was so unusual
King-of-the-salmon ribbonfish are normally associated with deep water. SFGATE reports that the species spends most of its time around 3,000 feet. The fish Judah saw was close enough to the surface for a recreational diver to observe, an exceptional setting for an animal usually living far beyond ordinary diving depth.
MBARI senior scientist Bruce Robison told the Los Angeles Times that these fish occupy habitat that is largely inaccessible without submersibles or remotely operated vehicles. The Times also reported MBARI’s figure of 16 sightings in nearly 40 years of ocean exploration off California, attributing the count to the institute.
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Why was it near the surface?
No confirmed explanation has been reported for this individual’s shallow appearance. The available accounts do not establish whether it was injured, disoriented, following prey, affected by currents, or responding to another condition. Its exact age, sex, and fate after Judah ended the observation are also unknown.
That uncertainty matters: a rare sighting documents where and when one fish was seen, but it does not by itself show that the species’ normal depth range has changed.
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Did the diver harm the fish?
There is no evidence in the published accounts that the encounter harmed the animal. Judah filmed it briefly and then stopped pursuing it. Leaving a deep-sea fish undisturbed is especially important because handling, chasing, or bringing such an animal to the surface can cause stress and physical damage.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.The “doomsday fish” label is folklore
Some coverage mentions a Japanese folklore tradition that associates ribbonfish appearances with earthquakes or tsunamis. That is a cultural belief, not scientific evidence that ribbonfish predict seismic events. The Monterey Bay sighting does not establish any connection between this fish and future earthquakes or tsunamis.
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What this sighting tells us
- A juvenile Trachipterus altivelis was documented near the surface off McAbee Beach in Monterey Bay on December 30, 2025.
- The identification came from a Monterey Bay Aquarium marine biologist who consulted ichthyologists.
- The species is generally associated with deep water, making a diver-level encounter exceptionally uncommon.
- MBARI’s reported California record—16 sightings over nearly four decades—illustrates how rarely these animals are observed, while not constituting a complete global population estimate.
- The reason this fish entered shallow water remains undetermined.
Sources and footage
The event details and Judah’s observations were reported by SFGATE. Additional context on the species’ normally inaccessible habitat and MBARI’s sighting count appeared in the Los Angeles Times. Judah’s GoPro video supplied the images used for identification.
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