Watch an Elusive and Ethereal Bigfin Squid Float Above the Seafloor Off Central California

Olívia Soares Pereira was watching a live feed from an underwater drone in the Pacific Ocean when what appeared to be tentacles drifted into the frame. At first, she thought she was looking at a “cool” jellyfish, she says in a statement. But as she watched the creature float through the water, she realized it was something even more special—a rare bigfin squid.

Pereira is an ecologist with the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI), and she spotted the elusive deep-sea animal on August 7 while aboard the David Packard, the institute’s flagship research vessel. The footage was captured by the remotely operated vehicle (ROV) Doc Ricketts around two miles below the surface and about 80 miles southwest of Monterey, California. The sighting, announced September 2, marks the first time anyone has spotted a live bigfin squid, which belongs to the Magnapinna genus, in the northeastern Pacific Ocean.

It adds to the roughly 70 total observations or collections of the ethereal species. The project, led by MBARI and NOAA, aims to help researchers better understand the diverse organisms that live on submerged mountains. Seamounts support thriving ecosystems by deflecting ocean currents and concentrating nutrient-rich water, creating feeding grounds for a wide range of marine life.

Davidson Seamount, in particular, is home to ancient corals and an octopus nursery. One question that scientists hoped to answer during the expedition was whether mysterious furrows on the seafloor near the Davidson Seamount were created by deep-diving beaked whales foraging for cephalopods and fish. They first spotted the unusual scars in 2020 and were immediately intrigued because, despite decades of seafloor observations, only a handful of the gouges had ever been spotted.

At the time, they hypothesized that the whales were taking advantage of the abundant prey near the seamount. During the most recent expedition, the team collected data—including video footage, sediment samples and water samples from which they hope to extract genetic material left behind by organisms—at two study sites near Davidson Seamount and two control sites located farther north. They also deployed hydrophones, or underwater microphones, at each site that will continuously capture any sound within a one- to two-mile radius for the next year.

Early results suggest beaked whales are more active near the Davidson Seamount, but the scientists say they won’t know for certain until they analyze the audio recordings. In the meantime, they’re still riding high from their unexpected bigfin squid sighting. The pinkish-colored creature was floating a few feet above the seafloor, with its two fins, eight arms, two tentacles and elongated teardrop-shaped body in full view of the ROV’s camera.