Overview

• An international team aboard the Schmidt Ocean Institute's research vessel Falkor filmed a live colossal squid on March 9, 2025, using the ROV SuBastian.
• The specimen, a 30-centimeter juvenile, was observed at 600 meters depth in the Southern Atlantic near the South Sandwich Islands.
• Experts, including Dr. Kat Bolstad, confirmed the squid's identification by its unique arm hooks, a defining feature of Mesonychoteuthis hamiltoni.
• This marks the first in situ observation of the species since its discovery in 1925, previously known only through remains found in predator stomachs.
• Researchers are now developing advanced imaging systems to target adult colossal squids, which can grow up to 7 meters and weigh 500 kilograms, in future expeditions.