Giant sunfish washes onto Oregon coast beach

A massive rare fish believed to only live in temperate waters in the southern hemisphere washed up on Oregon’s northern coast a few miles north of Seaside June 3, drawing crowds of curious onlookers intrigued by the unusual sight.

The 7.3-foot hoodwinker sunfish first appeared on the beach in Gearhart on Monday, the Seaside Aquarium said in a news release. It was still on the beach on Friday and could remain there for weeks, the aquarium said, as it is difficult for scavengers to puncture its tough skin. If you’re nearby (as many RVers are this time of year), you might still be able to see it.

Photos provided by the aquarium showed a flat, round, gray fish lying on its side in the sand. Photos of a person kneeling next to it, and another of a pickup truck parked next to it, gave a sense of its large scale and size. The photo above does a good job of that, too.

The stir it has created on social media prompted a New Zealand-based researcher who has studied sunfish to contact the aquarium.

After looking at photographs of the fish, Marianne Nyegaard was able to confirm that it was indeed a hoodwinker sunfish — rarer than the more common ocean sunfish — and she said she believed it may be the largest such fish of its kind, according to the aquarium.

Even if the rare creature is gone by the time you arrive, be sure to visit the nearby Seaside Aquarium, which is along the beach at the end of the town’s main street. The privately owned aquarium, founded in 1937, is one of the oldest aquariums on the West Coast. Some descendants of the founders are still active in its operation.

The aquarium is open every day except Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Learn more at seasideaquarium.com.

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