This Is the First Colossal Squid Filmed in the Deep Sea\u2014And It\u2019s a Baby!<\/p>\n
A colossal squid was filmed for the first time in its natural habitat near the South Sandwich Islands during a recent expedition, and it turned out to be a baby<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
By Ashley Balzer Vigil<\/a> edited by Andrea Thompson<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n The first confirmed live observation of the colossal squid (Mesonychoteuthis hamiltoni<\/i>) in its natural habitat was taken by the remotely operated vehicle SuBastian on March 9 during a flagship expedition by The Nippon Foundation-Nekton Ocean Census in the remote South Sandwich Islands in the South Atlantic Ocean. The squid is a baby that is about one foot long.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n ROV SuBastian\/Schmidt Ocean Institute<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n A faintly fluttering specter, at first hardly visible among bits of marine snow falling in slow motion, emerged from the deep-sapphire void. The pilot of the underwater robot brought the creature to the center of the frame, giving scientists on a ship at the ocean\u2019s surface a good view of the strange life-form. Its mostly transparent, speckled dome was topped with fins that busily flapped like tiny wings, and its tentacles were drawn up underneath it, toward its glowing red undercarriage.<\/p>\n There was little fanfare\u2014just a few minutes of quiet, almost reverent observation. But the encounter, 100 years in the making, marked the first time a colossal squid<\/a> (Mesonychoteuthis hamiltoni<\/i>) had ever been caught on film in its natural habitat.<\/p>\n \u201cThis is one of the planet\u2019s true giants, living in one of our most pristine marine ecosystems,\u201d says Kat Bolstad, an associate professor at the Auckland University of Technology in New Zealand, who helped independently identify the creature from the footage. \u201cIt\u2019s a source of fascination and wonder, and it also plays a huge role in Antarctic food webs.\u201d<\/p>\n If you’re enjoying this article, consider supporting our award-winning journalism by subscribing<\/a>. By purchasing a subscription you are helping to ensure the future of impactful stories about the discoveries and ideas shaping our world today.<\/p>\n![\"Baby](\"https:\/\/static.scientificamerican.com\/dam\/m\/44c7363cb7362942\/original\/colossal-squid-baby.jpg?m=1744756478.205&w=600\")
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