The Colossal Squid Has Been Filmed for the First Time Ever: Here’s What We Know

It may be the biggest invertebrate on the planet, but we don’t know much about it. The first time scientists learned of the colossal squid was in 1925. Remains of the massive sea creature had been found inside a sperm whale’s stomach. Since then, only eight adult colossal squid have been reported, according to the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa. Six of those were found in whale stomachs. Not a single one has ever been photographed or filmed live in its habitat.

That is, until April 2025, when scientists captured the most incredible footage of a colossal squid swimming off the waters of the Sandwich Islands.

A Baby Colossal Squid Filmed Swimming in the South Atlantic Ocean

An international team of scientists reported in a press release in April 2025 that they are the first ever to film the colossal squid (Mesonychoteuthis hamiltoni) living in its natural habitat. The researchers were aboard the Schmidt Ocean Institute’s research vessel named the Falkor (too). Dr. Kat Bolstad of the Auckland University of Technology said in a statement, “For 100 years, we have mainly encountered them as prey remains in whale and seabird stomachs and as predators of harvested toothfish.”

The squid was a young juvenile, only about one foot long. The video and images reveal a small, translucent squid swimming in the dark waters with a bioluminescent glow around its tentacles.

About the Colossal Squid

Adult colossal squids can grow up to 23 feet long and weigh 1,100 pounds. Colossal squid are in the glass squid family. As they grow into adults, they begin to lose their see-through appearance.

As exciting as it was to capture video of the juvenile, it may be more of a challenge for researchers to find and film an adult colossal squid. For one thing, the younger squid live in waters closer to the surface. But as they grow older, scientists believe colossal squid begin moving to further depths, reaching depths of 6,562 feet. This far down is the bathypelagic zone, or midnight zone, and no sunlight penetrates here.

Despite the extreme depth, research vehicles can reach that far, but there may be another reason why the adults remain elusive. This reason was explained by Dr. Aaron Evans, an independent researcher, to CNN. Dr. Evans told CNN the adult colossal squid can sense when danger is present and will likely flee from underwater vehicles that they spot coming.

There is only one colossal squid on display in the world. The squid is located in the Museum of New Zealand, Te Papa. The specimen is over 17 feet long and weighs more than 600 pounds. It was collected in 2003 by a New Zealand fishing vessel in the Antarctic Ocean.

We’ve Hardly Scratched the Surface of the World’s Oceans

The team of scientists discovered the young colossal squid at a depth of 1,968 feet. This is in the mesopelagic zone, or twilight zone, where sunlight is extremely faint. Not much is known about this mysterious place and the creatures living within it. According to NOAA, 70% of the world is covered by oceans, but we’ve only mapped 26.1% of the global sea floor.

The remotely operated vehicle (ROV) named SuBastian captured the remarkable footage of the juvenile colossal squid. Subastian was operating from the institute’s research vessel. The SuBastian can reach depths of 14,763 feet below the ocean’s surface. This extends beyond the midnight zone into the abyssopelagic zone. The ocean’s abyss is still mostly unexplored.

The ROV is an unmanned submarine. Without pilots, scientists and crew aboard the ship control the vehicle. Also equipped with video cameras and lights, it provides scientists a close look at the deep and dark reaches of the sea where humans can’t go.

Glacial Glass Squid Also Recently Spotted

Additionally, in a previous mission in January 2025, researchers aboard the Falkor (too) managed to get the first-ever footage of a glacial glass squid (Galiteuthis glacialis), swimming near Antarctica. 

Dr. Jyotika Virmani, Schmidt Ocean Institute’s executive director, said of the two discoveries, “The first sighting of two different squids on back-to-back expeditions is remarkable and shows how little we have seen of the magnificent inhabitants of the Southern Ocean.”

This Discovery Brings New Information About the Colossal Squid

Before scientists caught footage of the young squid swimming in its habitat, most of what we knew about the colossal squid was from finding dead specimens. But watching it swim alive through the water gives scientists new clues about its behavior. For example, Dr. Bolstad told CNN that seeing the high-resolution footage revealed color-changing cells on the squid’s mantle. This could indicate the squid can change back and forth between being see-through and opaque.