Social media has been abuzz with the recent first-time confirmed observation and filming of a Colossal Squid (Mesonychoteuthis hamiltoni) at 600 m (about 1,970 feet) depth off the South Sandwich Islands, in the Southern Ocean. The observation and video were made last March 9 by scientists working aboard Schmidt Ocean Institute’s research vessel Falkor.
The individual squid in the video clip is a juvenile measuring only 30 cm (about 12 inches), but Colossal Squids may reach 7 meters (about 23 feet) in length and weigh as much as 500 kilograms (about 1,100 pounds). The species is restricted to the very cold waters of the Southern Ocean (the large body of water around Antarctica). Incidentally, the depth distribution of the species seems to correlate with age; young Colossal Squids are found closer to the ocean’s surface and adult individuals live in deeper waters. Check out the video here.
