April 19, 2025, 12:23 pm | Read time: 3 minutes
For a long time, it was considered a deep-sea phantom, but researchers have now succeeded in filming a colossal squid in its natural habitat for the first time. These creatures can weigh up to 1,100 pounds. However, the specimen that swam into the researchers’ view was much smaller than anything previously seen.
For a century, it remained a myth of the deep sea—massive, mysterious, and known only through stranded carcasses or the stomach contents of sperm whales. Now, the giant squid (Mesonychoteuthis hamiltoni) has been captured alive on video in its natural habitat for the first time. What’s remarkable is that it’s a relatively tiny juvenile—a fragile creature far from the monster image of the mythological kraken.
Spectacular Discovery at 600 Meters Depth
On March 9, a team of marine biologists achieved a scientific sensation: During an expedition by a research vessel from the Schmidt Ocean Institute, they filmed a living colossal squid in its natural habitat for the first time—at a depth of 600 meters near the South Sandwich Islands in the South Atlantic.
The video footage shows a juvenile about 30 centimeters long, never before documented alive at this stage of development. The footage was captured using a remotely operated underwater vehicle. The cephalopod was caught on camera during a 35-day expedition as part of the “Ocean Census” research mission, which also involves the GEOMAR Helmholtz Center for Ocean Research Kiel.
“We can present the living colossal squid to the world as this beautiful, small, fragile animal,” said Kat Bolstad, a biologist at New Zealand’s Auckland University of Technology, at a press conference on April 15, as reported by the science portal “Science.” She also emphasized, “This underscores the magnificence of many deep-sea creatures, without the monster hype.”
Attentive Viewer First Recognized the Giant Squid
The discovery was almost accidental: A viewer of the expedition’s livestream identified the unusual creature. They then forwarded a screenshot to squid biologist Aaron Evans, who, along with Bolstad, reviewed the research team’s high-resolution footage. Both quickly concluded it was a young colossal squid. “I started to hyperventilate,” Evans reported during the press conference.
The young specimen of the colossal squid is mostly transparent and measures only about 30 centimeters. Nevertheless, the footage is of great significance. “It provided important insights into the lifestyle of these animals, whose life cycle remains mysterious,” explained the research team.
The colossal squid is among the least studied marine creatures—because as they grow larger and heavier, they dive deeper. They also change their color to an intense red, as most previous findings show.
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Colossal Squid Never Filmed Alive Before
Mature specimens are believed to reach a total length of more than ten meters and weigh around 500 kilograms. This makes them the largest invertebrates in the world, as the involved scientists emphasize.
A particularly spectacular find of a colossal squid occurred in February 2007 by the New Zealand fishing vessel “San Aspiring” in the Antarctic Ross Sea. The creature, caught on a toothfish line, was 4.2 meters long and weighed 495 kilograms. Although it was still alive when recovered, it died shortly afterward. Today, the specimen is on display at the National Museum Te Papa Tongarewa in Wellington, New Zealand’s capital.
Only about 100 years ago was the species scientifically described. The few specimens caught so far have provided insights into the animal’s impressive anatomy: Its eyes reach a diameter of 27 centimeters—larger than a soccer ball and the largest known in the animal kingdom. In addition to eight arms equipped with suckers, the colossal squid has two particularly long tentacles with hooks at the ends that can rotate 360 degrees—presumably to securely hold prey in the dark water.