Check Out the First Confirmed Footage of the Colossal Squid, a Rare and Enigmatic Deep-Sea Species Most of what we know about the elusive creature comes from research on its remains found in whale stomachs, but scientists just filmed a one-foot-long juvenile in the South Atlantic Ocean Researchers recently captured the first-ever confirmed video of the colossal squid in its natural habitat. ROV SuBastian / Schmidt Ocean Institute A team of researchers has just revealed the first confirmed footage of a colossal squid alive in its natural habitat. The squid in the video offers an unprecedented look at the mysterious, deep-sea species—and on top of that, it’s a juvenile. “We get to introduce the live colossal squid to the world as this beautiful, little, delicate animal,” Kat Bolstad, a biologist at the Auckland University of Technology who helped confirm the footage, said during a press conference earlier this week, as Science’s Erik Stokstad reports. The exciting event “highlights the magnificence of a lot of deep-sea creatures without some of that monster hype,” she added. Scientists captured the video on March 9 while aboard a Schmidt Ocean Institute research vessel near the South Sandwich Islands in the South Atlantic Ocean. They had sent a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) into the depths and were live streaming its footage when an online viewer flagged the creature on the screen as a potential colossal squid, per New Scientist’s Sofia Quaglia. As a result, the researchers sent the video to independent squid experts, who recognized the species’ unique hooks along its arms. “This is honestly one of the most exciting observations we’ve had” in the history of the field, Bolstad tells Robin George Andrews of National Geographic. Serendipitously, this year marks the 100th anniversary of the colossal squid’s identification and formal naming—but scientists have learned very little about the species since then. Zoologists based their initial description of the animal on its remains found in the stomach of a sperm whale in 1925. After that first discovery, only eight adult colossal squid have been identified, and six of them were from remains in whales. Bolstad once reconstructed a dead colossal squid from its remains, reports Business Insider’s Morgan McFall-Johnsen. Colossal Squid, 1st Live Observation | Searching for New Species in the South Sandwich Islands Watch on The colossal squid (Mesonychoteuthis hamiltoni) is a member of the glass squid family and generally lives in Antarctic waters at depths of more than 3,200 feet, as well as in regions closer to New Zealand. Scientists estimate colossal squids can grow up to 23 feet long and weigh as much as 1,100 pounds. If this is true, it would make them the world’s heaviest known invertebrates, according to a statement from the Schmidt Ocean Institute. The colossal squid in question, however, was a little less than 12 inches long, indicating it was a juvenile. Baby colossal squids are see-through, but they lose the glassy appearance as adults. The footage of the young squid “gives us a starting place, because the life history of the colossal squid itself is kind of poorly known,” Aaron Evans, a glass squid expert from Auckland University of Technology who helped confirm the footage, said at the press conference, according to NBC News’ Julia Yohe. “For us to see this kind of mid-range size, in between a hatchling and an adult, is really exciting, because it gives us the opportunity to fill in some of those missing puzzle pieces to the life history of this very mysterious and enigmatic animal.” The remotely operated vehicle (ROV) that captured the footage of the colossal squid. Alex Ingle / Schmidt Ocean Institute “This colossal squid looks like a delicate glass sculpture, with fins of such fine musculature they are barely visible. It has shining, iridescent eyes and graceful arms fanned out from the head,” Bolstad writes in an article for the Conversation, adding that “at full size, the colossal squid may be a formidable predator, with its stout arms and array of sharp hooks, able to tackle two-meter-long toothfish.” A different team of researchers may have previously filmed a colossal squid in its natural environment in 2023, but the footage was too low-quality to confirm, according to New Scientist. Bolstad explains to NPR’s Ayana Archie that it’s difficult to film colossal squids because of their likely aversion to brightness and loud noises—both of which are features of deep-sea research equipment. In fact, one of the few things we know about colossal squids is that their sensitive eyes are wider than soccer balls, potentially making them the largest eyes of any animal, per Science. “Observing the colossal squid gives us the chance both to learn about this remote place,” Bolstad tells Scientific American’s Ashley Balzer Vigil, “and to share the excitement of such discoveries with people who may not think about the deep sea very often—even though it makes up 95 percent of the living space on Earth and plays an enormous role in regulating our climate.” Get the latest stories in your inbox every weekday.