Colossal Squid seen alive for the first time since its naming a century ago
- Apr 18
- 2 min read
Updated: Apr 18
The first-ever encounter of a live colossal squid (Mesonychoteuthis hamiltoni) has been seen near the South Sandwich Islands. The uninhabited islands are administered as part of the British Overseas Territory.
The islands are located in the South Atlantic Ocean, north of the Weddell Sea and 470 miles (760 km) southeast of the island of South Georgia. The Schmidt Ocean Institute was the first to see this elusive creature alive and in its natural habitat, having been first discovered in 1925. The squid is currently just 30 cm long, but adults are believed to reach total lengths of up to 7 m and weights of 500 kg, making them the heaviest invertebrate on the planet.
An international team of scientists and crew on board Schmidt Ocean Institute’s research vessel Falkor (too) was able to film Mesonychoteuthis hamiltoni, capturing the creature on video at a depth of 600 meters (1,968 feet) by the Institute’s remotely operated vehicle (ROV) SuBastian. The sighting occurred on March 9, 2025, the 100-year anniversary of the identification and formal naming of the colossal squid.
Dr. Kat Bolstad of the Auckland University of Technology, one of the independent scientific experts the team consulted to verify the footage said “It’s exciting to see the first in situ footage of a juvenile colossal and humbling to think that they have no idea that humans exist. For 100 years, we have mainly encountered them as prey remains in whale and seabird stomachs.
Dr. Michelle Taylor of the University of Essex, who led The Nippon Foundation-Nekton Ocean Census team on the expedition said, “The Ocean Census international science network is proud to work together with the Schmidt Ocean Institute to accelerate species discovery and expand our knowledge of ocean life, live online with the world’s science community.”
With only 240,000 marine species documented and millions more yet to be discovered, the Ocean Census is working to close critical biodiversity knowledge gaps. Learn more at oceancensus.org.
This post is in memory of Marine Biologist Andrew Colgan from Newcastle-Under-Lyme.
Colossal Squid seen alive for the first time since its naming a century ago - created 18.4.25
