Researchers from the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI) recently encountered a rare deep-sea bigfin squid while surveying the seafloor near the Davidson Seamount, an extinct underwater volcano off the California coast. This unexpected sighting has left scientists astonished, highlighting the mysteries of the deep ocean. The discovery was reported by People.
At the time, MBARI scientists from its Benthic Biology and Ecology Team and researchers from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) were on an expedition aboard the research vessel David Packard. They were studying whether beaked whales feeding in the area created furrows on the muddy seafloor. He described it as an elegant creature with moving, angel-like wings.
The cameras on MBARI’s remotely operated vehicle, Doc Ricketts, spotted the squid more than two miles underwater, at a depth of about 10,751 feet. Scientists estimated that it was around 4.1 feet long, from the tip of its arms to the top of its arms.
Andrew DeVogelaere, a research ecologist with NOAA’s Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary, said he was focused on the seafloor when the squid suddenly appeared on the screen.
