Serpent-like oarfish found by marine scientist

A marine science instructor snorkelling off the Southern California coast spotted something out of a fantasy novel: the silvery carcass of an 18-foot-long, serpent-like oarfish.

Jasmine Santana of the Catalina Island Marine Institute needed more than 15 helpers to drag the giant sea creature with eyes the size of a half dollar coin to shore on Sunday.

Staffers at the institute are calling it the discovery of a lifetime.