Image Source: Geek.com
Earlier this month, researcher Nathan Robinson, spotted a squid via the Medusa deep sea camera system. Initially, the video features standard deep sea creatures like jellyfish, shrimp, and lantern sharks. Suddenly, tentacles begin to take shape in the black, creeping towards the camera. Soon, a large squid is fully visible, its tentacles dancing in the sway in the ocean as it makes a tentative exploration of the camera.
Edith Widder, the developer of the Medusa, said, “[Robinson’s] eyes were just about popping out of his head. He didn’t even say anything, and I knew immediately he had seen something amazing on the video.”
The footage of the animal was captured around 2,500 feet below the surface of the ocean. It is theorized that the animal was a juvenile because it was between 10 to 12 feet in length. The footage is exciting in a few ways.
First, it is amazing to get footage of a live giant squid in its natural habitat. Many times scientists interact with giant squids, the animals have just washed ashore on a beach. It is difficult to uncover the ecology of the animal without an opportunity to study it in its natural environment.
Second, this is the first spotting of a giant squid in U.S. waters. Previously recorded giant squid encounters have only occurred off the coast of Japan. This footage will help scientist to better understand these creatures of the deep.