A enigmatic beast, unseen in its living state since being discovered in 1925, has finally been captured on video.
We were aware of the giant squid's existence because it was found inside whale stomachs, but it had never been observed in its natural environment – until now.
The team aboard the research ship Falkor from the Schmidt Ocean Institute successfully filmed it as it swam deep beneath the waters between Argentina and this region. Antarctica .
The 30-centimeter-long baby squid was captured on video near the South Sandwich Islands at approximately 600 meters deep using a remote-operated vehicle on March 9th.
The video has now been made available to everyone, allowing us to view something that taxonomists have anticipated for 100 years.
The young mollusk, remaining see-through because of its tender years, elegantly moves through the murky waters employing its tentacles.
As part of the glass squids, adult specimens are believed to reach lengths of around seven meters – which is nearly four times longer than a 6-foot person – and can have a weight equivalent to approximately 500 kilograms (or about 79 stones).
The organism, formally called Mesonychoteuthis hamiltoni are the most massive invertebrates globally, and they progressively lose their transparency as they mature.
Even though several dying adult creatures have been recorded after fishermen dragged them up, they've never been spotted alive in their natural environment.
Dr Kat Bolstad from the Auckland University of Technology, who verified the video content, commented, “It’s thrilling to witness this initial occurrence.” in situ video of a young giant creature, which is both astounding and humbling when you consider that they seem unaware of our existence.
'Over a century, they have primarily been observed as remnants found in the stomachs of whales and sea birds, and as consumers of caught toothfish.'
The same group also captured the initial video of the Antarctic glass squid in the waters surrounding Antarctica during January.
A key feature of giant squids is the presence of hooks along their eight arms, setting them apart from Antarctic glass squids.
Otherwise, infants appear rather alike, featuring see-through bodies and acute hooks at the ends of their two extended tentacles.
Dr. Jyotika Virmani, the executive director of Schmidt Ocean Institute, remarked: "To spot two distinct species of squid during consecutive missions is extraordinary and underscores our limited knowledge about the incredible creatures living in the Southern Ocean."
'These memorable moments keep telling us that the Ocean still holds countless mysteries waiting to be uncovered.'
Haven't we shot footage of squids like this previously?
It could be that you're mixing up giant squids, another substantial and enigmatic inhabitant of the deep sea.
In 2019, scientists were astonished and thrilled to capture live video of someone diving into deep waters.
Scientists from NOAA captured footage of a massive squid approximately 160 kilometers offshore from New Orleans.
They employed an underwater camera system known as Medusa, which utilizes red light to observe deep-sea animals without alarming them, in sections of the ocean where natural sunlight doesn’t reach.
The team was undertaking an operation called 'Voyage at Dusk,' focusing on investigating areas of the Gulf of Mexico deeper than 3,800 feet, referred to as the bathypelagic—or twilight—zone.
'Stealth monitoring like that enabled by Medusa can permit us to observe things previously unseen,' they penned in their work. blog post .
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