Watch: Monster Squid Captured on Camera for the First Time in US Waters
Last week, during an expedition by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, researchers stumbled upon the find of their life — a giant squid in United States waters.
Let’s just say this oceanic beast would make enough calamari to feed a small city.
According to Fox News, the oversized cephalopod was discovered roughly 100 miles southeast of New Orleans, Louisiana. An expert with NOAA National Marine Fisheries Services confirmed the 10 to 12 foot long creature to be a juvenile giant squid.
Check out the clip that biologists are claiming is “the most amazing video you’ve ever seen.”
“What were once monsters to be feared are now curious and magnificent creatures that delight. We like to feel that science and exploration has brought about this change.”
Read the story of how scientists captured a giant squid on video: https://t.co/RUu2YkCDFS pic.twitter.com/J2ERl10blz
— NOAA Research (@NOAAResearch) June 21, 2019
In a detailed write-up of the discovery by NOAA, the team explained what might have been going through the giant squid’s mind when it latched onto their bait.
“We did not find a monster,” researchers said. “The giant squid is large and certainly unusual from our human perspective, but if the video shows anything of the animal’s character, it shows an animal surprised by its mistake, backing off after striking at something that at first must have seemed appealing but was obviously not food.”
The video was recorded using an innovative “stealth camera system” known as “Medusa,” which is primarily used in deep sea exploration missions.
The cutting-edge equipment takes advantage of infrared lights which are invisible to sea creatures but still allow the specialty cameras to catch any action. The bait for the system is an electronic jellyfish, which mimics the shape and qualities of an Atolla wyvillei jellyfish.
NOAA scientists wanted to explore the deepest depths of the Gulf of Mexico in order to see what happens to animals who essentially live their entire lives in pitch darkness, including giant squids that have historically been viewed as “monsters.”
“Our perspective as humans has changed,” the team at NOAA said. “What were once monsters to be feared are now curious and magnificent creatures that delight. We like to feel that science and exploration has brought about this change, making the world less scary and more wondrous with each new thing we learn.”
This new interaction comes seven years after the first video was recorded of a live giant squid in Japan, according to CBS News.
In fact, scientists once documented a giant squid that was almost 43 feet long and may have weighed over a ton — the largest ever recorded, according to the Smithsonian Institution.
On Twitter, users expressed their fascination and horror at the discovery of this miniature Kraken.
“Never going in past ankle deep again,” one user commented.
Never going in past ankle deep again.
??— Reliable Mutineer (@MutineerMe) June 21, 2019
“The sea is terrifying,” another person tweeted.
Another individual thought the squid would make a great meal, saying, “Bring a tank truck of olive oil, bushel of garlic, bucket of salt, and let’s get busy.”
Bring a tank truck of olive oil, bushel of garlic, bucket of salt, and let’s get busy.
— Richard J. Douglas (@RichardJDouglas) June 23, 2019
There is still much to learn about the mysteries of the ocean. Hopefully we will see more incredible videos like this from NOAA in the near future.
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