For the first time ever, scientists have captured live footage of a baby colossal squid swimming in its natural deep-sea home.
The rare moment was filmed on March 9, 2025, by a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) named SuBastian, operated by the Schmidt Ocean Institute.
The squid, about 30 centimeters long (almost one foot), was spotted 600 meters underwater near the remote South Sandwich Islands in the South Atlantic Ocean.
This is a historic moment in ocean science, as it marks the first confirmed video of a juvenile colossal squid (Mesonychoteuthis hamiltoni) in the wild.
The discovery comes exactly 100 years after the species was first identified.
Colossal squids are thought to grow up to seven meters (about 23 feet) in length and can weigh as much as 500 kilograms (1,100 pounds), making them the largest invertebrate on Earth.
Until now, most knowledge of these deep-sea giants has come from remains found in the stomachs of whales and other predators.
The squid was spotted during a 35-day Ocean Census expedition aimed at discovering new marine life.
The project was a collaboration between the Schmidt Ocean Institute, the Nippon Foundation-Nekton Ocean Census, and GoSouth, a research partnership involving the University of Plymouth, GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research, and the British Antarctic Survey.
Experts around the world confirmed the identity of the squid, including Dr. Kat Bolstad from Auckland University of Technology. She noted that the baby squid’s transparent body and the hooks in the middle of its arms were key features that confirmed it as a juvenile colossal squid.
Another deep-sea species, the glacial glass squid (Galiteuthis glacialis), looks similar at this stage but has different features. Coincidentally, this species was also filmed for the first time just weeks earlier, in January, by the same research team during a separate expedition near Antarctica.
These back-to-back discoveries highlight how much remains unknown about life in the deep ocean. Both sightings were made possible by live video streams from the ROV, allowing scientists around the world to join in and help identify the animals in real time.
According to Dr. Michelle Taylor, the chief scientist of the expedition, these discoveries show the value of working together across international teams to uncover the ocean’s secrets.
Schmidt Ocean Institute director Dr. Jyotika Virmani added that their ROV has now captured footage of at least four squid species for the first time.
These findings remind us how much of the deep ocean is still unexplored—and how many incredible creatures are waiting to be discovered.
Source: KSR.
