We Finally Have Video Footage of a Colossal Squid After 100 Years: How to Watch It

The colossal squid was identified and named 100 years ago, but humans have never actually seen one swimming around in its natural habitat. A remotely operated vehicle deployed from the Schmidt Ocean Institute has now captured footage of the juvenile colossal squid on March 9. It happened near the South Sandwich Islands in the South Atlantic Ocean, about 430 miles southeast of South Georgia Island.

Any discovery like this is a big deal, but this one is a bit cuter. This isn’t just any colossal squid, it’s a baby.

The juvenile squid looks almost like it’s made from glass. Its transparent body shows off its internal organs, and the slow movement of its orange tentacles draws attention to its glowing eyes. 

Scientists observed two curved hooks on the clubs at the ends of the squid’s long tentacles. There are also hooks on the middle of its eight arms, an essential feature for colossal squids. 

It’s a juvenile, so still has a transparent body that more closely resembles the creatures known as glass squids. The baby squid will lose that transparency as it ages.

The video was taken at a depth of 1,968 feet, and the juvenile squid is nearly a foot long. A grown colossal squid can grow up to an estimated seven feet long and weigh up to 1,110 pounds, making it the heaviest invertebrate on the planet. 

We don’t know much about how colossal squids live since they’re hard to observe in their natural habitat. Scientists have found them in the stomachs of sperm whales, so it’s a huge development to get video in the deep sea. Colossal squids are still a mystery, but a little less of one now. 

Where to watch the best sea animal documentaries

While we still don’t have much footage of the giant squid, there are some other wondrous ocean animals you can explore. We’ve rounded up some of the deep-sea documentaries out there, and the streaming services they’re on below across Netflix, Prime Video, Disney Plus, Hulu, Discovery Plus and Paramount Plus.

Netflix

Seaspiracy

My Octopus Teacher

Our Oceans

Puff: Wonders of the Reef

Prime Video

Blackfish

Ultimate Oceans

Australia’s Oceans

Atlantic: A Year in the Wild

Wondrous Secrets of the Ocean Realm

Disney Plus and Hulu

Sea of Shadows

Playing with Sharks

Giants of the Deep Blue

Secrets of the Octopus

Secrets of the Whales

Discovery Plus

Expedition Deep Ocean

The Blue Planet

Blue Planet II

Paramount Plus

Great Blue Wild

America’s Wild Seasons

Shark Squad

Ocean Parks