For the first time in a century, deep sea researchers have captured video of a living colossal squid in the ocean where it naturally lives. BBC
A colossal squid has been filmed alive in the ocean for the very first time. This moment is a big deal for scientists, as the species was first discovered 100 years ago but had never been seen in its natural home until now.
The young squid, about 30cm long, showed up on camera 600 meters deep near the South Sandwich Islands. This area is in the far south Atlantic Ocean. A group of researchers spent 35 days at sea searching for new sea creatures. One of them was from a university in Essex and led the mission.
Colossal squid are known to grow huge. Scientists believe they can reach 7 meters long and weigh up to 500 kilograms. That makes them the heaviest invertebrates in the world. But no one had ever seen one moving freely in deep water—until now.
The team used a robotic vehicle to explore the ocean floor. They were working from a ship in a very remote part of the world. In fact, the nearest people were hundreds of miles away, not on land, but on the International Space Station.
Dr. Michelle Taylor, the lead scientist, said they didn’t know what the creature was at first. But it looked so unusual and beautiful, they decided to film it anyway. Later, an expert named Dr. Kat Bolstad confirmed it was a young colossal squid.
Dr. Bolstad said most information about this squid comes from dead ones found in the stomachs of whales and seabirds. Seeing a live one in its home was a very special moment. She added, "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."
Young colossal squids are see-through, but that changes as they grow older. Another strange thing about them is that they have sharp hooks on their arms.
Scientists have recorded a glacial glass squid on video for the first time ever. BBC
Before now, dying adult colossal squids had been seen by people fishing. But no one had caught one on video while it was still alive and deep underwater.
Experts still don’t know how many colossal squids are out there. Even now, some think of them as half-myth, half-real. That’s because they are so rarely seen.
The same team also filmed another rare squid in January. This one is called a glacial glass squid. It has a clear body and had never been seen alive before either.
Dr. Jyotika Virmani, who works with the team, said, “The first sighting of two different squids on back-to-back expeditions is remarkable and shows how little we have seen of the magnificent inhabitants of the southern ocean.”
These discoveries remind us that the deep sea still holds many secrets. There’s so much more to find and understand in our oceans.
