'Wondrous' 10-foot giant squid spotted deep in Gulf of Mexico
By Danny Clemens
Friday, June 21, 2019 6:54PM
NEW ORLEANS -- An elusive giant squid has made a rare on-camera appearance, delighting scientists on the prowl for the deep-sea creature that until relatively recently had largely escaped the eyes of researchers.
Researchers working with NOAA's Office of Ocean Exploration and Research spotted the creature just 100 miles off the coast of New Orleans in the Gulf of Mexico earlier this week. They identified it in footage taken from Medusa, an underwater camera system that features a lighting system designed to mimic a bioluminescent jellyfish. Medusa can dive as low as 6,560 feet below the surface.
Footage released by NOAA shows the giant squid approaching Medusa, its tentacles flaring as though it had mistaken the camera for an actual jellyfish and was preparing to pounce. After beginning to wrap its tentacles around Medusa, the squid quickly realized something was not right and darted back off into the dark depths of the ocean.
Upon seeing the video, scientists knew immediately that the animal was a squid but were only 70 percent sure that it was a juvenile giant squid. They turned to world-renowned expert Michael Vecchione, who said he was "nearly certain" that the animal was, in fact, a giant squid.
More:
https://abc13.com/pets-animals/wondrous-10-foot-giant-squid-spotted-deep-in-gulf-of-mexico/5357441/
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