First Ever Footage of Baby Colossal Squid Captured After 100 Year Search

Colossal Squid Emerges from Antarctic Depths

Background

The colossal squid is a deep‑sea giant that has long haunted maritime lore. While the famed giant squid is known for its legendary encounters with sperm whales, the colossal squid is even larger and much more elusive.

Discovery

• For nearly a century, scientists had no idea that this creature existed.
• Only in the last 100 years have fishermen begun to record a handful of dying colossal squids washing to the surface.
• Fishermen have filmed a few dying colossal squids at the ocean’s surface.
• Scientists have found chewed‑up colossal squid in the stomachs of whales and seabirds.
• Until now, no confirmed sighting in the deep sea has been documented.

Significance

The appearance of the colossal squid in the Antarctic abyss offers a fresh window into one of the ocean’s most mysterious keystone species. As researchers continue to uncover the secrets of the deep, the elusive giant may soon transition from legend to well‑documented marine biology reality.

Behold, the colossal squid

Revealing the Deep: A Live Colossal Squid in Full Splash

What makes this captured moment a watershed for marine science?

Scientists who secured the footage have tied it to the world’s heaviest invertebrate, the colossal squid, a creature that can stretch up to 23 feet and weigh as much as 1,100 pounds. The specimen that surfaced on camera, however, is considerably smaller—just shy of one foot in length, a juvenile in its developmental stage.

Verifying the footage: Down-to‑detail confirmation by experts

• Key contributor: Kat Bolstad, a deep‑sea cephalopod researcher affiliated with the Auckland University of Technology.
• Past work: Bolstad had previously reassembled a deceased colossal squid that jack‑knifed to a fishing vessel.
• Press briefing insight: Bolstad declared the new video “one of the most exhilarating observations we’ve witnessed across the entire span of my cephalopod studies.”

Live visual cues: iridescence and cellular shading

In the recorded scene, the squid’s eye surfaces exhibit an iridescent gleam that automatically draws the viewer’s attention. The body itself displays rust‑colored spots—cells that are indicative of the creature’s ability to transition between two states: transparent, as displayed in the clip, and opaque, which allows it to adapt to varying deep‑sea conditions.

Implications for future research and conservation

The documented footage not only validates the existence of living colossal squids in their native, dark depths but also opens avenues for future studies on the adaptive behaviors of cephalopods at these extreme marine environments.

New Expedition Near South Sandwich Islands

Ocean Census Seeks Marine Discoveries

Scientists aboard a research vessel embarked on a 35‑day journey close to the South Sandwich Islands. This mission is part of the Ocean Census, an international partnership dedicated to exploring the ocean for fresh marine life.

• 35‑day expedition around South Sandwich Islands
• Ocean Census: global collaboration for marine exploration
• Goal: identify new species in unexplored waters

Business Insider reports the latest insights from this innovative scientific endeavor.

SuBastian Emerges From the Deep

From the ocean to the vessel

The research vessel pulls the remotely operated vehicle SuBastian from the ocean and brings it to the surface.

• Research vessel lifts SuBastian to surface
• SuBastian moved from ocean to vessel

Rare squid discovery: ‘I started hyperventilating’

Unveiling the Mysterious Colossal Squid

Aaron Evans, a leading specialist in the glass squid family, assisted Dr. Bolstad in confirming the identity of the extraordinary creature captured on video.

Key Diagnostic Feature

• Horseshoe‑shaped hooks positioned at the midpoint of each of the squid’s eight arms.
• These hooks are a hallmark that sets colossal squids apart from other glass squid species.

When the hook arrangement became apparent, Evans admitted, “I started hyperventilating.”

Comparing Recent Antarctic Footage

In 2023 another Antarctic expedition recorded footage that may have represented a juvenile colossal squid, yet scientists remained uncertain. In the freshly released video, however, Bolstad highlighted, “We can now observe the animal’s features in exceptionally fine detail.”

Colossal Squids: The Hidden Depths

Unique Features

• Hooks on both tentacles rotate 360° to grasp prey.
• Largest eyes among all living or extinct creatures.
• Elusive behavior aided by huge pupils that detect research vehicles before camera capture.

Behavior with Surface Vehicles

The new footage shows a young squid that remains calm while a research submersible approaches. Bolstad notes the animal takes a “wait and see” stance, suggesting it is undecided whether to flee.

Future Research and Impressions

Bolstad anticipates future video of mature squids that will display impressive, muscly hooks and dominate the oceanic stage. He adds that the current footage will introduce the world to the vivid, delicate side of the colossal squid.

Key Takeaway

Colossal squid combine powerful hooks, exceptional vision, and subtle behavior to remain one of the ocean’s most enigmatic predators.