'Doomsday fish,' rumored to bring bad omens, washes ashore in popular surf town

A California woman was walking her dog on Grandview Beach in Encinitas when she came across a very rare, deep-sea fish.

Alison Laferriere, who happens to be a PhD candidate at Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the University of San Diego, said she identified the "doomsday fish" knowing it was a "rare occurrence."

The oarfish, also known as a "doomsday fish," measures roughly 9-to-10 feet long. 

"As I got closer, I recognized what it was immediately, since I had seen pictures of the one found earlier this year," said Laferriere to Fox News Digital via email.

Encinitas, California, was recently named one of the 20 best surfing towns in the world, according to National Geographic.

The city is located along six miles of the Pacific Ocean coastline, according to a San Diego government site. 

She added, "I explained the situation to them, and thankfully they decided to leave it."

Ben Frable, Scripps Oceanography Marine Vertebrate Collection manager, said in a statement that the increased spotting of oarfish off the coast may have to do with a change in the ocean conditions.

"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," said Frable.

Scripps Institution of Oceanography in La Jolla advises anyone who believes they have encountered an oarfish to alert lifeguards and to contact them.