A giant squid was captured on camera for the first time in the ocean. During an expedition in the South Atlantic Ocean, the enormous squid was discovered. The first time a giant squid has been captured on camera in its native habitat since the species ‘ discovery a century ago.
At a depth of 600 meters (1968 feet) close to the South Sandwich Islands in the south Atlantic Ocean, the 30-cm (11.8-inch) juvenile was captured on video.
The video was taken in March during a 35-day search for new marine life by a group of scientists headed by a professor from the University of Essex.
According to experts, giant colossal squids are the heaviest creatures on Earth, reaching lengths of up to 7 meters (23 feet) and weighing up to 500 kilogrammes (1100 pounds).
On the 100th anniversary of its initial identification and naming, the mollusc was found. It was seen by the crew of the Falkor (too) vessel of the Schmidt Ocean Institute using a remotely controlled vehicle.
The International Space Station was hundreds of miles away from the closest humans in the isolated area being studied.
According to university chief scientist Dr. Michelle Taylor, the crew videotaped the squid because it was “beautiful and unusual”, even though they weren’t sure what it was at first. Dr. Kat Bolstad later confirmed the video, stating that prior squid encounters had primarily involved the corpses of seabirds and whales.
“It’s exciting to see the first in situation footage of a juvenile colossal and humbling to think that they have no idea that human exists” she said
The lifecycle of the gigantic squid is poorly understood, yet they eventually stop being as transparent as youngsters. The hooks on the middle of the species’ right arms are another characteristic that sets it apart. Although they have never been spotted alive at depth, dying adults have been captured on camera by fishermen in the past
According to the Natural History Museum, it is difficult to determine how many enormous squids there are in the world. The organisation stated in 2022 that “even to this day, the enormous invertebrates still straddle the line between legend and reality ” because of a paucity of observations.
Researchers also said that they had recorded the first-ever video of a glacial glass squid in January.
“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,” added Dr. Jyotika Virmani, Schmidt Ocean Institute’s executive director.
“These unforgettable moments continue to remind us that the ocean is brimming with mysteries yet to be solved.”