Live colossal squid, super-heavyweight of the deep sea, caught on video for the first time

Summary

Deep in the South Atlantic Ocean, a rare juvenile colossal squid was spotted swimming at nearly 2,000 feet—a first for scientists. The video, captured by the Schmidt Ocean Institute’s ROV SuBastian during a 35-day expedition, offers a glimpse of this elusive creature, which can grow up to 23 feet long and weigh 1,100 pounds. This discovery comes just months after another new squid species was recorded, highlighting how little we know about the Southern Ocean’s depths.

Additional Summaries

A colossal squid, the world's largest species, has been spotted for the first time alive near the South Sandwich Islands at a depth of nearly 2,000 feet. This juvenile measures up to 23 feet in length and weighs over 1,100 pounds, making it the heaviest invertebrate on Earth. Its discovery is remarkable because previous sightings of such massive squids had only documented their skeletons or been observed as prey in the wild.

A juvenile colossal squid was caught on video for the first time swimming at a depth of nearly 2,000 feet in the South Atlantic Ocean. The squid, which can grow up to 23 feet and is the world's largest squid species, was identified as Mesonychoteuthis hamiltoni. This footage marks the first time this species has been seen alive at such depths. Scientists aboard the Schmidt Ocean Institute's research vessel Falkor captured the video during a 35-day expedition aimed at discovering new marine life.

A juvenile colossal squid, weighing 1,100 pounds and measuring up to 23 feet, was caught in its natural habitat for the first time off the South Sandwich Islands at a depth of nearly 2,000 feet. This remarkable discovery, officially named Mesonychoteuthis hamiltoni, is notable as no live colossal squid has been seen alive before. Scientists aboard the Falkor research vessel captured video footage during their expedition, and the squid's unique transparency loss adds to its intrigue. Additionally, a glacial glass squid was also spotted for the first time in situ, highlighting the surprising diversity beneath the ocean's surface.

A juvenile colossal squid is seen at a depth of nearly 2,000 feet in the South Atlantic Ocean. The colossal squid, the world’s largest squid species, was caught on video for the first time swimming in its natural habitat, according to a California ocean research organization. But the creature the institute caught on video was a footlong juvenile. Scientists aboard the institute’s Falkor research vessel captured video of the squid with its remotely operated vehicle called SuBastian. Bolstad was consulted to verify the video, according to the institute.

Additional Summaries