The Colossal Squid Is Real and Our Oceans Just Got a Whole Lot Creepier

For centuries, sailors swapped stories that made landlubbers roll their eyes. Tentacled beasts pulling ships under, giant eyes staring up from the depths, whirlpools that seemed almost…alive. Most scientists chalked these tales up to a mix of bad weather, too much rum, and the human tendency to embellish a good story.

Turns out, maybe those sailors weren't so crazy after all.

Because recently, scientists captured a colossal squid (yes, a real, living one!!!) on camera for the very first time. And honestly, it's everything the old legends promised. Massive, mysterious, and more than a little terrifying.

The ocean just got a whole lot wilder, my friends.

The Legend of the Colossal Squid

Before we dive into the modern discovery, let's rewind a bit in history because you know I like my stories. Way back, sailors talked about the Kraken; a tentacled monster so big it could crush ships like soda cans. Writers and mapmakers scribbled "Here Be Monsters" on the edges of their charts. But by the time "serious" science (and sometimes boring) rolled around, most of these stories were dismissed as drunken hallucinations after too much rum or booze or drugs.

Still, the clues kept surfacing (sometimes literally). Giant tentacles washed ashore in Norway, and sperm whales (those deep-diving, scarred veterans of the ocean) showed up with suction cup scars the size of literal dinner plates!!

In 1925, pieces of a truly massive squid were found in the stomach of a sperm whale. Scientists realized there was something different here…not just the already-legendary giant squid (which, by the way, is terrifying enough), but something even bigger, even weirder: Mesonychoteuthis hamiltoni, the colossal squid.

It had been glimpsed, sampled, theorized about…but never seen alive…until now.

Alive, and Absolutely Massive

Fast forward to today: researchers finally captured footage of a colossal squid in its natural habitat. And my friends, it did not disappoint.

We're talking about a creature estimated to reach lengths of 40 to 50 feet, with eyes as big as basketballs and tentacles lined not just with suckers, but with rotating hooks. Nature really said, "Let's make it nightmare fuel, but cooler."

And to clear up a common confusion: colossal squid are not the same as giant squid. They’re heavier, bulkier, and built more like an underwater tank than a speedy torpedo. If the giant squid is a sleek sports car, the colossal squid is a monster truck.

Seeing one alive confirmed just how little we know about the deep sea, and how many "myths" might just be misunderstood encounters with real creatures.

Other Deep-Sea Mysteries That Still Boggle the Mind

While the colossal squid steals the headlines, it's far from the only "what the heck?" lurking beneath the waves. The deep sea is basically Earth's final frontier, and it’s packed with oddities that star in my nightmares more than I’d care to admit.

Bioluminescent creatures are sometimes found at depths that could crush human lungs. These glow-in-the-dark marvels aren't just beautiful, they’re survivalists, using light for hunting, hiding, and finding mates in the inky darkness.

Abyssal gigantism is the term for that phenomenon that for some reason, many deep-sea creatures are freakishly large. Giant isopods (basically nightmare roly-polies), enormous amphipods, and even our famous colossal squids.

Hydrothermal vent ecosystems are also kind of creepy, which is where entire communities of life thrive around boiling underwater vents, completely independent of sunlight. Talk about rewriting the rules of biology.

Every time scientists send a submersible down to explore, they find new species…often things that look more like aliens than Earthlings.

Why We’ve Explored More of Mars Than Our Own Oceans

Here’s a brain-bender for you: we've mapped more of the surface of Mars than we have the ocean floor here on Earth.

Only about 5% of the ocean has been mapped in detail. That's like knowing the layout of your neighbor's house better than your own kitchen.

Why? Because the ocean is hard. Water pressure increases rapidly with depth (think crushing levels by the time you reach the deep ocean), it's pitch black, GPS doesn't work underwater, and deep-sea tech is expensive and risky.

In short: it's easier to send a robot to Mars than to the Mariana Trench.

Which begs the question…what else is down there that we’ve never seen?

Want to Dive Deeper? (Tehe)

If this has you itching to explore more ocean mysteries, check out "Blue Planet II", David Attenborough’s jaw-dropping documentary series. It’s like getting a front-row seat to the most alien worlds on Earth.

What the Colossal Squid Teaches Us

Beyond the "cool monster" factor, the colossal squid reminds us of something bigger: we still know almost nothing about our own planet.

In a world where Google Maps can tell you the nearest taco shop in 0.2 seconds, it's easy to forget that real mystery still exists. But the ocean, vast, dark, and largely unexplored, humbles us.

It reminds us to stay curious and that legends often have roots in truth.

And honestly, it reminds me that there might be creatures down there that we haven't even imagined yet. Creepy.

Feel Like Exploring?

If you’ve got little ones (or you're a kid at heart yourself), the National Geographic Mega Ocean Animal Science Kit is a blast. You get to "excavate" sea creatures, learn weird facts, and basically live out your marine biologist dreams.

What Else Is Lurking in the Deep?

The colossal squid's big reveal is a once-in-a-lifetime discovery, but it's probably just the tip of the iceberg.

With 95% of the ocean still unexplored, the next big discovery could be something even weirder, bigger, or stranger than anything we've seen yet.

Stay curious, and stay wild my friends. The ocean certainly is.

Here is the link if you want to see it!!