A fisherman sailing the Norwegian Sea has found an array of terrifying sea creatures that look like they swam straight out of a horror movie.
Roman Fedortsov, 39, often posts photos of the rare fish he finds while exploring leagues under the sea — but one fish, in particular, became a viral hit.
A photo of the fish, which many commenters have compared to a “baby dragon,” has gone viral, amassing over 22,000 likes on Instagram.
The light pink and silver fish has large cartoon-like eyes on each side of its head, wing-shaped fins and a long, spiked tail.
“Just a quote ‘It’s one thing to chase something nameless, but quite another thing to find it’ – G.F. Lovecraft,” Fedortsov captioned the photo on Instagram to share with his 646,000 followers.
The fish was eventually identified as a chimaera — a cartilaginous fish also known as a “ghost shark” — and it brought a flurry of comments from shocked viewers.
A Norwegian fisherman shares pictures of the alien-esque sea creatures he finds while exploring the open ocean.Jam Press/Roman Fedortsov
“It looks a little like a newly hatched dragon to me,” said one person in the comments, with another concurring, “Looks like a baby dragon!”
“Looks mythological,” wrote another stunned commenter, echoing others.
“Welp, I think I don’t need to swim in the ocean ever again,” said another decidedly freaked-out onlooker.
After seeing Fedortsov’s other deep-sea finds, many people might agree.
Roman Fedortsov, 39, shares pictures of his rare finds to his 646,000 Instagram followers.Jam Press/Roman Fedortsov
People are fascinated by the strange-looking sea creatures that the fisherman finds during his ocean voyages.Jam Press/Roman Fedortsov
Viewers compared this fish to a cheeseburger, chicken sandwich and a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle.Jam Press/Roman Fedortsov
Instagram users were quick to compare this mysterious fish to a jelly donut.Jam Press/Roman Fedortsov
The Murmansk-based Russian fisherman works on a boat searching for cod, haddock and mackerel on commercial trawlers, diving up to 3,000 feet below the surface, the Daily Mail reported.
Many of the fish brought up from the deep water die due to the change in pressure, he said. Fedortsov studied marine science at a university in Murmansk.
He spends the majority of his time sailing in the Barents Sea, off the northern coasts of Russia, which feeds into the Arctic Ocean, but also travels to other parts of the world, including the Atlantic Ocean.
While exploring the deep sea, Fedortsov has found plenty of other bizarre sea creatures that look like everything from aliens to cheeseburgers.
Instagram users were quick to comment on the spooky creatures and have often helped to identify the wild finds. Fedortsov explained to the Daily Mail that he often shares the pictures in hopes of discovering what rare sea monster he found.
Many people are spooked by the photos that Fedortsov shares, but he finds unique beauty in each creature.Jam Press/Roman Fedortsov
The fisherman studied marine science at a university but often stumbles across unfamiliar animals.Jam Press/Roman Fedortsov
Fedortsov said he posts many of the pictures in hopes of identifying his deep-sea finds.Jam Press/Roman Fedortsov
People often comment about the strange appearance of many of the creatures, but he said he sees the beauty in all creatures.
“In their own way, all of these creatures are beautiful,” he told the Daily Mail.
“All kinds of fish are beautiful in their own way. I cannot say that they are ‘scary’ or ‘ugly.’ People are very interested in unusual sea creatures,” he said.
And although he has amassed an impressive collection of underwater oddities, hauling them up is actually not a regular occurrence.
“Readers have the impression that with each trawl we bring aboard unusual fish specimens,” the fisherman added. “In fact, this is far from the case. It is a rarity.
“On the other hand, even a famous fish can be photographed so that it will seem to be a ‘monster.’”
