16 Apr 2025

World-first footage of the colossal squid released

From Nights, 10:50 pm on 16 April 2025

It's a baby!

Up until now the colossal squid have proved impossible to capture in their natural habitat, in the crushing dark of 600 metres below the surface of the sea.

So it's been a very exciting week for Dr Kat Bolstad, a squid expert and associate professor at Auckland University of Technology, who was called on to verify the spotting.

She speaks to Emile Donovan about the significance of this footage.

This is the first confirmed live observation of the colossal squid, Mesonychoteuthis hamiltoni, in its natural habitat. The team on Schmidt Ocean Institute's Research Vessel Falkor (too) captured footage of the 30-centimeter-long squid (nearly one foot) at a depth of 600 meters (1968 feet) using their remotely operated vehicle SuBastian on March 9 during an Ocean Census flagship expedition searching for new marine life. The expedition took place in the remote South Sandwich Islands in the South Atlantic Ocean. This year (2025) is the 100-year anniversary of the identification of the colossal squid, which are estimated to grow up to seven meters (23 feet) in length.

The Schmidt Ocean Institute team captured footage of the 30cm long squid at a depth of 600m. Colossal squid are estimated to grow up to 7m in length. Photo: ROV SuBastian / Schmidt Ocean Institute