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Essex Scientists Capture First-Ever Footage of Live Colossal Squid
A century after its discovery, the elusive colossal squid has finally been caught on camera in its natural habitat. A team of scientists, led by a University of Essex researcher, filmed the juvenile squid during a 35-day expedition near the remote South Sandwich Islands in the South Atlantic Ocean.
The 30-centimeter squid was spotted 600 meters below the surface by a remotely operated vehicle deployed from the Schmidt Ocean Institute’s Falkor (too) research vessel. Chief scientist Dr.
Michelle Taylor of the University of Essex said the team was drawn to the “beautiful and unusual” creature. Later, Dr.
Kat Bolstad confirmed the squid’s identity, noting the rarity of live colossal squid sightings, which are typically only encountered as remains inside the stomachs of whales and seabirds.
Colossal squid, the heaviest invertebrates on Earth, can reportedly grow up to 7 meters long and weigh 500 kilograms. This groundbreaking footage, captured on the 100th anniversary of the species’ discovery, offers a glimpse into the early life of these mysterious creatures.
Juveniles, like the one filmed, possess a transparent appearance that they lose as they mature. Adult colossal squid are also distinguished by the hooks found on their arms.
While deceased adults have been observed by fishers, this marks the first time a live colossal squid has been filmed at depth.
The expedition also yielded another remarkable discovery: the first-ever footage of a glacial glass squid, recorded in January. Dr.
Jyotika Virmani, executive director of the Schmidt Ocean Institute, highlighted the significance of these back-to-back discoveries, emphasizing the vast, unexplored wonders of the Southern Ocean. The Natural History Museum has acknowledged the difficulty in estimating the global colossal squid population, emphasizing the creatures’ almost mythical status even a century after their discovery.