Hey, have you heard about this incredible discovery? So, apparently, there’s this massive colossal squid out there in the ocean, and for the first time ever, researchers caught it on camera swimming around in its natural habitat. Can you believe it? This squid is like the king of squids, growing up to a whopping 23 feet long and weighing over 1,000 pounds — that’s insane! The folks over at the Schmidt Ocean Institute were the lucky ones who got to witness this rare sighting.
Now, get this: the squid they saw on camera was actually just a baby, only a foot long. They spotted it on March 9 near the South Sandwich Islands in the South Atlantic Ocean, chilling at a depth of almost 2,000 feet. This little guy belongs to a species called Mesonychoteuthis hamiltoni, which was first identified back in 1925, but no one had ever seen it alive until now. It’s like finding a hidden treasure in the ocean!
The team was on a 35-day expedition, exploring the deep sea to discover new marine life when they stumbled upon this baby colossal squid. They used a fancy remote-operated vehicle called SuBastian to capture the squid on video. And let me tell you, it was a sight to behold. These squids are usually transparent when they’re young, but as they grow older, they lose that see-through look. It’s like they’re going through a squid glow-up or something.
One of the researchers, Kat Bolstad from the Auckland University of Technology, was blown away by the footage. She said, “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.” I mean, can you imagine living your life without knowing humans are out there? Must be nice, honestly.
But that’s not all. In another expedition in January, the team also caught a glacial glass squid on camera for the first time ever. This squid, known as Galiteuthis glacialis, had never been seen alive in its natural habitat before. It’s like the ocean is full of surprises, just waiting to be discovered. Jyotika Virmani, the executive director of the Schmidt Ocean Institute, was thrilled about the findings. She 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.”
Man, the ocean is truly a mysterious place, full of wonders we’ve yet to uncover. Who knows what other incredible creatures are lurking beneath the surface, waiting for their moment to shine? It’s moments like these that remind us of how vast and awe-inspiring our world really is.
