SAN ANTONIO – An expedition in the Gulf of Mexico recently captured footage of an elusive giant squid that’s part of a species known in urban legend as the “Kraken” or “sea monster.”
Dr. Danté Fenolio, vice president of San Antonio Zoo’s Center for Conservation and Research, was part of the team of researchers that spotted the Architeuthis dux.
This is the first recording of a live giant squid in the Gulf of Mexico, and second recording overall in its deepwater habitat, the San Antonio Zoo said in a press release.
The only other sighting was in 2012 near the surface in Japan’s Toyama Bay.
The juvenile giant squid is estimated to be 10 feet long and was seen at 2,296 feet deep.
“This observation took place within sight of one of the world's largest oil platforms, the Appomattox. I hope the video clips of this incredible encounter instill an appreciation of our oceans,” said Fenolio. “We need to do so much more to protect them before we lose things like the giant squid.”
Dr. Edith Widder invented a contraption with a series of electronic lights on it to attract the giant squid.
Widder figured the contraption would attract the giant squid because it has the largest eyes in the animal kingdom.
The 15-day journey through the Gulf of Mexico was funded by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Office of Ocean Exploration and Research.
It’s called "Journey Into Midnight: Light and Life Below the Twilight Zone."
“This is one of the most incredible biological investigations we’ve ever been a part of,” said Tim Morrow, president & CEO of San Antonio Zoo. “This recent discovery is an important milestone in deep sea research and points out that there is so much more to learn about the largely unexplored deep waters that are beyond human vision."