Rare Bigfin Squid Spotted Near California Seamount

The research team, operating from the vessel David Packard, was originally surveying the seafloor to study feeding patterns of beaked whales. As the remotely operated vehicle Doc Ricketts scanned the abyssal plain, the squid drifted into view. Postdoctoral fellow Ollvia Soares Pereira initially mistook the creature for a jellyfish before the distinct shape of its elbows and tentacles became clear.

The specimen measured approximately 4.1 feet in length, exhibiting the signature long, trailing arms and angel-like fins that characterize the species. NOAA research ecologist Andrew DeVogelaere described the encounter as an unexpected highlight of the expedition, noting the grace with which the animal navigated the extreme pressure of the deep-sea environment. This observation adds a significant data point to the limited records of these mysterious organisms, which remain seldom seen by human observers due to their preference for the ocean's most inaccessible depths.