12 foot Giant Oarfish Found in Sweden - Photos

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12 foot Giant Oarfish also known as "King of the Herrings” was discovered by Kurt Ove Eriksson on Sweden's western coast in the village of Bovallstrand. Since last 130 years this fish has not been seen in Sweden. Check out here the 12 foot huge Oarfish videos including stunning photos of this fish.

12 foot Giant Oarfish Found in Sweden - Photos

73-year-old Eriksson, a retired engineer and avid fisherman, made the remarkable discovery, who initially thought the behemoth was "a big piece of plastic," floating near the shoreline. When he got closer, Eriksson comprehended the 12-foot serpent like object was a typical creature from the depths of the ocean.

The dead fish was picked up by him and handed over to The House of the Sea aquarium in the town of Lysekil, Sweden. The House of the Sea aquarium had this to say about the King of the Herrings:

“The last time we saw a King of Herrings in Sweden was in 1879 [...] We don't know much about the species [...] but believe it lives in deep waters, at least 1000 meters (3280 feet) deep, and many believe it's at the origin of the sea serpent myth”.

The museum also said, "the dead fish, which was frozen at the museum, had a deep cut through its body and was missing its beautiful, typical back fin". At this time, it is not known what the museum is going to do with the fish but they are presently studying it and finding out more about the species.

Kurt Ove Eriksson gave a good example to all citizens of how daily people can make a real contribution to science and public education. Several people may have left the cadaver of such a gigantic fish to be washed back out to sea, but Eriksson had the foresight to contact the aquarium. With the opportunity to view this hardly ever seen fish, the Sea House can now provide the public.