The colossal squid was identified and named 100 years ago, but humans have never actually seen one swimming around in its natural habitat. A remotely operated vehicle deployed from the Schmidt Ocean Institute has now captured footage of the juvenile colossal squid on March 9. It happened near the South Sandwich Islands in the South Atlantic Ocean, about 430 miles southeast of South Georgia Island.
Any discovery like this is a big deal, but this one is a bit cuter. This isn’t just any colossal squid, it’s a baby.
The juvenile squid looks almost like it’s made from glass. Its transparent body shows off its internal organs, and the slow movement of its orange tentacles draws attention to its glowing eyes.
Scientists observed two curved hooks on the clubs at the ends of the squid’s long tentacles. There are also hooks on the middle of its eight arms, an essential feature for colossal squids.
It’s a juvenile, so still has a transparent body that more closely resembles the creatures known as glass squids. The baby squid will lose that transparency as it ages.
The video was taken at a depth of 1,968 feet, and the juvenile squid is nearly a foot long. A grown colossal squid can grow up to an estimated seven feet long and weigh up to 1,110 pounds, making it the heaviest invertebrate on the planet.
We don’t know much about how colossal squids live since they’re hard to observe in their natural habitat. Scientists have found them in the stomachs of sperm whales, so it’s a huge development to get video in the deep sea. Colossal squids are still a mystery, but a little less of one now.
Where to watch the best sea animal documentaries
While we still don’t have much footage of the giant squid, there are some other wondrous ocean animals you can explore. We’ve rounded up some of the deep-sea documentaries out there, and the streaming services they’re on below across Netflix, Prime Video, Disney Plus, Hulu, Discovery Plus and Paramount Plus.
Netflix
Seaspiracy
My Octopus Teacher
Our Oceans
Puff: Wonders of the Reef
Prime Video
Blackfish
Ultimate Oceans
Australia’s Oceans
Atlantic: A Year in the Wild
Wondrous Secrets of the Ocean Realm
Disney Plus and Hulu
Sea of Shadows
Playing with Sharks
Giants of the Deep Blue
Secrets of the Octopus
Secrets of the Whales
Discovery Plus
Expedition Deep Ocean
The Blue Planet
Blue Planet II
Paramount Plus
Great Blue Wild
America’s Wild Seasons
Shark Squad
Ocean Parks
