A Ghostly Find: Bigfin Squid

While exploring off the West Florida Escarpment in the Gulf of Mexico, we had a ghostly encounter with a bigfin squid (Magnapinna sp.). Observations of bigfin squid are pretty unusual; roughly a dozen sightings have been confirmed worldwide. So, when we captured an adult bigfin squid during the Windows to the Deep 2021 expedition, it was quite an exciting moment.
Learn more about the discovery here: oceanexplorer....
Video courtesy of NOAA Ocean Exploration, Windows to the Deep 2021.

[@sirrivet9557]

This is actually the clearest image of a big fin squid I’ve seen. This is incredibly cool.

[@NaturalWorldFacts]

Stunning footage of a truly incredible creature. This is breathtaking!

[@CosmicShieldMaiden]

Hope you can use this footage Leo!

[@gaygranola]

This is much less scary than the first footage of one near that oil rig. Nice to see it swimming around gracefully as opposed to just bobbing there in the water with its tentacles going straight down like some kind of cryptid

[@katielow903]

I've only seen them in very creepy videos before. This new footage is beautiful!

[@Rainygirl3100]

Incredible! I've only ever seen one recording of this animal. It's amazing to see it again in better detail

[@TzadikTheManic]

What a delightful encounter! Beautiful, odd and delicate looking, this is the finest documented bigfin I’ve ever seen! Thank you 🖤

[@StraightUpRC]

That was Straight UP beautiful, scary, amazing, and creepy all at the same time! WOW!

[@NephilaClavata]

What a beautiful squid! In the old oil rig video it looks creepy but it's kind of graceful and actually quite nice looking in this footage! Great find!

[@asherhockersmith8271]

I've only ever seen the video from a drill or something similar. It's still creepy, but in the open ocean under light it's eerily beautiful as well.

[@AlFooteIII]

What an amazing critter! Thanks for sharing.

[@MRZRanger]

I love Magnapinna squids! This was so cool to see!

[@abagoffrozenspinach]

LOVE bigfin squid. so delightful. just little guys

[@Loloswaghetto]

They're huuuge not little if I recall correctly

[@matschrepf]

Deadset coolest job! 👌

[@rusher210]

such a beautiful creature

[@oleeotv]

Beautiful, thank you so much for sharing.

[@alphatonic1481]

Woah magnapinna squid always reminds me of the Alien Controller enemy in Half Life even though their arms are very short compared to the magnapinna squid.

[@Asher_Telaundy]

You are right especially because of his big head.

[@Gustava10]

So majestic 🥰

[@AndreaJingling]

'Ooo a squid!'
that's honestly how I'd react.

[@CassianBlank]

That is the most of Horrifying thing i've ever seen

[@OwO2620]

I know this thing from that 2007 video where it was just straight up, and was looking very creepy.

[@oneshotme]

Great video!! First time I've seen one moving and it is very nice!!

[@ceppoc]

Great footage of such a magnificent creature!

[@c0wb0yk1d5]

I LOVE THESE SQUIDS THEY ARE SO BEAUTIFUL AND AWESOME

[@lethallemon0101]

What a guy! :)

[@philipcallicoat3147]

I like the scientists discussing everything they're seeing... No high falutin' descriptions using the Latin names... That means everything they're saying is easy to understand... 🌹

[@kaydenpat]

I’m amazed that its legs aren’t bitten off by predators. Amazing creature.

[@zupermaster]

Bro looks like someone go into a planet and start filming below the water surface 💀💀

[@browndogz7357]

Amazing and beautiful!

[@InVinoVeratas]

I want a shirt with Magnapinnna on it, it looks soo cool!

[@chrisvinicombe9947]

Beautiful critter

[@MariuszTyburski]

Very cool find

[@tyfon4429]

Thank you for this video 💫🍀 NIOZ

[@jaschabull2365]

I love those swimming living marionette control bars.

[@snommynommy3981]

Beautiful!

[@Si6roS]

Alien, Eerie, Beautiful

[@FlyTyer1948]

Marvelous. Any idea of the length?

[@kevingaddis7276]

Fantastic.

[@lucase.garcia8026]

He must be an expert at untangling stuff.

[@juandavidbetancourthlopez910]

Gorgeous

[@tripleboutdoors4319]

Final boss of the ocean be like
👇

[@adrielgiwa-amu1343]

This is so cool. I wonder what other unique creatures
there are in the world.

[@fatcat1414]

Imagine this as a Mario boss.

[@abishark256]

Amazing!

[@tchNL]

Awesome

[@catycat28meow]

It's also called a Long Armed Squid.

[@theufoexperience3859]

So it has super long tentacles and two of the tentacles have elbows, and science named it a big fin squid? Why not the elbowed squid? Or how about the spectral squid? It is freaky and spectral-like after all.

[@tomaspabon2484]

I mean, theres other long armed squids, the big cephallic fin is rather unique

[@havingicecream]

Fantastic!!

[@laschamp5651]

gotta love them

[@emthegem8141]

super coool

[@Jesse__H]

Very cool!

[@MiloAndOreoTheRats]

AHHH WTF AHHH IM NOT SLEEPING FOR 3466 YEARS
Edit: but it is beautiful those tentacles though

[@Orange_chain]

The biggest big fin squid was 20 feet long and to find them they live 20,00 feet below the surface

[@alienchanel231]

amazing!!

[@DexHydra]

The joke we thought was fake TALES NOW CAN BECOME REAL

[@Lionking80585]

Bigfin squid is from supnatican I think

[@lizpurrfect306]

🤩

[@Innoventions]

nice

[@waldmyer]

How deep did u find him?

[@Cola64]

I’d rather stare at a dead planets Orange landscape and possibly ancient river bed’s through a billion dollar telescope then look at never before seen creatures on my own planet any day 🤪 ( sarcasm)

[@SjMk1.]

"... and it wasn't very many" well how very fking scientific 😅

[@CowPillow2]

Let’s snatch it up and dissect it

[@birdsatalcatraz]

Wow

[@EnormousKingCrab]

Neat

[@EdrichGarcia-p9i]

Magmapinna

[@juangomezonpl6840]

Deoxys

[@seesaweffect8095]

i wonder what it tastes like lol....

[@nseight]

Wow* :-)

[@eliseolopez2790]

I give this to all i turn a sicken destroyed ocean into the Eden of the waters full of joyful wonders

[@eliseolopez2790]

I AM

[@MurderBong]

WHAT'S THE SIZE?