Скачать или смотреть Rare Bigfin Squid Filmed for the First Time in the Tonga Trench

This is the first sighting of the rare bigfin squid (Magnapinna) in the Tonga Trench in the Southern Pacific Ocean. Filmed at a depth of 3,300 meters using a deep-sea lander in September 2024, the squid’s iconic tentacles take up the entire view of the camera. There have only been around a dozen sightings of bigfin squid on record, so to have new footage of this creature to study is incredibly important.

Because there have been so few sightings, very little is known about these alien-like squids. We do know that they can be over 8 meters long, their tentacles jut out perpendicular to their body giving them the appearance of “elbows”, and they are the only know squid to live below 6,000 meters, giving them the title of the deepest dwelling squid on Earth.

The Tonga Trench Expedition that filmed this bigfin squid was lead by Professor Alan Jamieson and included researchers from the Minderoo-UWA Deep-Sea Research Center at The University of Western Australia (‪@deepseauwa‬), Kelpie Geoscience and Inkfish (‪@inkfishexpeditions‬).