A few months ago, scuba diving content creator Jorinde Maré heard that an extremely rare fish had been spotted in Bonaire. Maré’s friend, a fellow diver named Jolanda, told her that she’d just seen a striated frogfish in the shallow water surrounding the island.

Striated frogfish are a type of anglerfish named after their signature black streaks. They’re known for their ability to change colors and blend in with their surroundings. The expertly camouflaged animals use a worm-like appendage above their mouths to lure in prey.

While striated frogfish are relatively common throughout the world’s oceans, neither of the women had ever seen one in Bonaire. No one else Maré talked to had ever seen one in that area before either.

“I spoke about this with many people on the island and in the dive industry there, and for all of them, it is surprising,” Maré told The Dodo.

With Maré’s curiosity about the rare animal piqued, she decided she wanted to try to see the striated frogfish for herself. She went out for a dive and followed Jolanda’s directions to where she’d spotted the fish. But alas, Maré didn’t find who she was looking for.

“After our dive, we were obviously disappointed,” Maré said. “But we did not want to give up.”

After a second dive and still no frogfish sighting, Maré was beginning to lose hope that she’d ever get to lay eyes on the unique animal.

The third time Maré set out to find the fish, though, she finally got lucky. She spotted a striated frogfish on a patch of sand about 10 feet below the surface. Maré marveled at how effective the animal’s disguise was.

“[T]his species looks just like a piece of seaweed on the sandy floor,” Maré wrote on TikTok.

As Maré and her dive buddy swam away, they were shocked to find two more striated frogfish huddled up together over a different patch of sand.

“We were absolutely thrilled,” Maré said. “It was quite the sight to see.”

More research is needed to determine whether these striated frogfish showing up outside of their usual habitat is a complete anomaly or a sign that they’re expanding their home territory. Either way, Maré is thrilled that she got to see three members of such a unique species with her own eyes.