ENCINITAS, Calif. (CNS) – For the second time this year, a rare deep-sea oarfish has washed ashore in San Diego County, giving scientists a chance to study the species without plumbing the depths of the ocean, it was announced Wednesday.

Last week, Scripps Institution of Oceanography PhD candidate Alison Laferriere found the deceased 9.5-foot specimen at Grandview Beach in Encinitas — just the 21st of its species documented to have washed up on California beaches since 1901, officials said.

The previous 12.25-foot long fish was found in August by kayakers and snorkelers in La Jolla Cove.

Ben Frable, manager of the Scripps Oceanography Marine Vertebrate Collection — one of the largest collections of deep-sea fish in the world — contacted the NOAA Fisheries West Coast team to recover the specimen and transport it to the Southwest Fisheries Science Center, according to a Scripps statement.

“We took samples and froze the specimen awaiting further study and final preservation in the Marine Vertebrate Collection,” Frable said. “Like with the previous oarfish, this specimen and the samples taken from it will be able to tell us much about the biology, anatomy, genomics and life history of oarfishes.”

It is unclear why two of the rarely seen, short-crested oarfish have washed up on local shores, Frable said.

“It may have to do with changes in ocean conditions and increased numbers of oarfish off our coast,” he said. “Many researchers have suggested this as to why deep-water fish strand on beaches.

“Sometimes it may be linked to broader shifts such as the El Niño and La Niña cycle but this is not always the case. There was a weak El Niño earlier this year. This wash-up coincided with the recent red tide and Santa Ana winds last week but many variables could lead to these strandings.”

The species has a long, scale-less, ribbon-like silvery body with dark spots. A long red dorsal fin crest extends from the top of the head.

Often described as sea serpents, oarfish can grow to lengths of 30 feet and are the longest bony fish in the world. Oarfish have a mythical reputation as predictors of natural disasters and earthquakes.

If someone finds an unusual or rare creature on the beach, they are encouraged to alert the local lifeguards. If in Southern California, members of the public can notify Scripps Institution of Oceanography at scrippsnews@ucsd.edu or 858-534-3624. Many beaches may be marine protected areas, where taking of organisms — living or dead — is illegal.

Copyright 2024, City News Service, Inc.

San Diego is about to get another nonstop connection to Europe.

KLM Royal Dutch Airlines announced Tuesday that it would add nonstop service from San Diego International Airport (SAN) to Amsterdam Airport Schiphol (AMS) beginning May 8, 2025.

This new thrice-weekly service will operate on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays on a 275-seat Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner. KLM’s 787-9 Dreamliner features 30 lie-flat business-class pods, 21 premium economy recliners and 224 economy seats.

Flights will depart San Diego at 1:55 p.m. and land in Amsterdam at 9:15 a.m. the next day. Westbound flights will leave Amsterdam at 9:50 a.m. and land in San Diego at noon.

Amsterdam is KLM’s megahub and also serves as one of the key connecting points for SkyTeam alliance travelers heading from Europe to points throughout the world. San Diego-based travelers will soon have access to over 160 destinations beyond Amsterdam, according to KLM and airport authorities.

KLM will become the 19th carrier to serve San Diego. The Amsterdam service will become the airport’s third nonstop route to Europe. KLM will join British Airways (London) and Lufthansa (Munich) as European airlines that fly to San Diego.

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At 5,613 miles, this new route will become KLM’s longest to the U.S.

San Diego is “a large, unserved market for the joint venture of Air France, KLM, Delta and Virgin Atlantic, with steady growth over the past decade,” the airline explained in a short statement.

KLM already serves 14 destinations in the U.S. Some are key domestic SkyTeam hubs, but others are major cities with enough demand for nonstop flights to Amsterdam. San Diego will join Austin and Portland, Oregon, as non-SkyTeam airports that have nonstop KLM flights.

In addition to the new San Diego service, KLM announced that it will also add service to Georgetown, Guyana, as part of a triangle route connecting to St. Martin. The airline will also fly to Hyderabad, India, next year.

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