Rare Bigfin Squid Filmed Alive for First Time in Northeastern Pacific Off Central California
On August 7, during a ten-day expedition called Seamount Hotspots, which was conducted by the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI) in collaboration with NOAA, ecologist Olívia Soares Pereira observed a live bigfin squid aboard the research vessel David Packard. This remarkable sighting, revealed on September 2, took place at a depth of roughly two miles, situated 80 miles southwest of Monterey, California. This marks the first instance of a live bigfin squid being recorded in the northeastern Pacific, contributing to a total of around 70 sightings. The squid, measuring about four feet in length, was captured in the “elbow pose” near Davidson Seamount. Additionally, the expedition examined seafloor furrows, likely created by beaked whales, and gathered samples for further study.
Key facts
- A live bigfin squid was filmed on August 7 by MBARI and NOAA researchers aboard the R/V David Packard.
- The sighting occurred about two miles below the surface and 80 miles southwest of Monterey, California, near Davidson Seamount.
- It is the first live bigfin squid observed in the northeastern Pacific Ocean and adds to roughly 70 total observations or collections.
- The squid measured about four feet long, with its arms and tentacles in a 90-degree “elbow pose” thought to aid feeding.
- The largest recorded bigfin squid was 21 feet long, with 20 feet from its arms and tentacles.
- The first bigfin squid specimen was collected in 1883 but not described until 1998; only damaged juveniles have been collected.
- Adults have been found at depths of 20,380 feet in the Philippine Trench, making it the deepest-dwelling squid known to science.
- The expedition also investigated seafloor furrows possibly made by beaked whales and deployed hydrophones to record sound for a year.
Entities
Artists
- Olívia Soares Pereira
- Andrew DeVogelaere
- Anna FitzGerald Guth
- Fedor Zarkhin
- Patrick Pester
- Sarah Kuta
Institutions
- Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute
- National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
- Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary
- David Packard
- Doc Ricketts
- SFGate
- Los Angeles Times
- Live Science
- Smithsonian Magazine
Locations
- Monterey
- California
- United States
- Pacific Ocean
- Davidson Seamount
- Philippine Trench
- Longmont
- Colorado