Colossal squid filmed in deep ocean for the first time ever

In the darkness of the South Atlantic Ocean, researchers captured for the first time footage of a live colossal squid (Mesonychoteuthis hamiltoni). And while the elusive creature is known for its size—reaching lengths of 23 feet—this one is a baby and only one foot long.

In 1925, fisherman first found the remains of a colossal squid inside a sperm whale. Over the next century, only eight adult colossal squids have been found, all postmortem.

“It’s exciting to see the first in situ footage of a juvenile colossal and humbling to think that they have no idea that humans exist,” Dr. Kat Bolstad of the Auckland University of Technology, an independent scientific expert who was consulted to verify the footage, said in a statement. “For 100 years, we have mainly encountered them as prey remains in whale and seabird stomachs and as predators of harvested toothfish.”

A team of scientists captured the groundbreaking footage using a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) on March 9 while onboard the Schmidt Ocean Institute’s research vessel Falkor (too). The 35-day expedition was part of an Ocean Census expedition searching for new marine life, and a collaboration between Schmidt Ocean Institute, the Nippon Foundation-Nekton Ocean Census, and GoSouth, a joint project between the University of Plymouth (UK), GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research (Germany), and the British Antarctic Survey. 

The juvenile squid appears translucent as it slices through the water, but when it ages, it will become less see-through as its muscles thicken. Its large eyes—the largest of any known creature—can also be seen in the footage. Bolstad explains that the reason the squids have been so hard to find with cameras could be because of the sensitivity of their enormous eyes. “Most of our deep-sea exploration equipment is large, noisy and uses bright lights if we are trying to film animals,” Bolsted writes on The Conversation.

Dr. Jyotika Virmani, Schmidt Ocean Institute’s executive director, summed up the breakthrough: “These unforgettable moments continue to remind us that the Ocean is brimming with mysteries yet to be solved,”

 

More deals, reviews, and buying guides

The PopSci team has tested hundreds of products and spent thousands of hours trying to find the best gear and gadgets you can buy.