Rare Bigfin Squid Spotted Two Miles Deep Off California

Scientists watching an underwater drone feed thought they were looking at a jellyfish at first, but what floated into frame on August 7 was far more extraordinary: a rare bigfin squid gliding through the darkness two miles below the surface.

Olívia Soares Pereira, an ecologist with the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute, spotted the elusive creature during an expedition aboard the research vessel David Packard. The remotely operated vehicle captured footage about 80 miles southwest of Monterey, California, marking the first live sighting of a bigfin squid in the northeastern Pacific Ocean.

The discovery adds to only about 70 total observations of these mysterious animals worldwide. "These seasoned marine scientists were all of a sudden acting like kids again," said Andrew DeVogelaere, an ecologist with NOAA's Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary who witnessed the moment.

The team wasn't even looking for squid. They were studying mysterious furrows on the seafloor near Davidson Seamount, an underwater mountain, trying to determine if deep-diving beaked whales created the scars while hunting for food.

When the pinkish creature appeared, it was floating in what scientists call the "elbow pose," with its spaghetti-like arms bent at 90-degree angles. Researchers believe this position helps the squid passively catch prey that sticks to the tiny suckers covering its appendages.

Using laser measurements, the team estimated this individual measured about four feet long, making it relatively small for the species. The largest bigfin squid ever recorded stretched 21 feet, with 20 feet of that length coming from its impossibly long arms and tentacles.

Why This Inspires

Bigfin squid are among the ocean's deepest dwellers, found as far down as nearly four miles in the Philippine Trench. Scientists didn't even formally describe the species until 1998, despite collecting the first specimen in 1883.

Every new sighting helps researchers piece together the puzzle of how these creatures live in one of Earth's most extreme environments. The squid's unusual hunting strategy, floating motionless with outstretched arms in the pitch-black deep sea, shows nature's endless creativity in finding ways to thrive.

The discovery reminds us that our own planet still holds countless mysteries waiting to be uncovered, even in places we've studied for decades.