Antarctic Squid Never Seen Alive Before Caught in Stunning Deep Sea Footage

On Christmas morning in the Weddell Sea, a shape emerged from the shadows 7,000 feet below the surface. It wasn’t a shadow cast by the remotely operated vehicle SuBastian, nor a swirl of passing sediment. It was something no one had seen alive before: Gonatus antarcticus, a rare squid native only to Antarctica’s deep, frigid waters.

The elusive creature had only ever been studied through fragments—carcasses caught in fishing nets or beaks discovered in predators’ stomachs. But now, for the first time, scientists were watching it swim in its natural habitat, thanks to National Geographic.

The squid was captured on film in the midnight zone of the Southern Ocean.

A Fortunate Delay, A Historic Encounter

The sighting wasn’t part of the plan. Ice conditions had postponed the original dive mission to the Powell Basin, forcing researchers to choose an alternate site. That unplanned shift led them straight into the path of the squid. As the ROV descended through the ocean’s midnight zone—an area completely devoid of sunlight—it picked up a signal.

Researchers watching the video feed on board the Schmidt Ocean Institute's R/V *Falkor (too)* saw the squid drifting through the blackness, its red body and white specks faint but unmistakable, according to The New York Times.

Photo: YouTube / National Geographic

Gonatus antarcticus had never been seen alive until December 25, 2024.

Hooks, Ink, and a Close Encounter

This wasn’t a fleeting glimpse. For several minutes, the squid hovered near the vehicle, releasing a puff of green ink—possibly startled—and exposing the distinct hooks on its tentacles that would later confirm its identity. Scientists measured it at roughly three feet long. It bore signs of survival in the deep: scratches on its arms, fresh sucker marks along its mantle, and a fierce, solitary presence. These injuries may have been inflicted during an attack, perhaps by a colossal squid, which shares the same waters and prey habits, Live Science noted.

Identifying the Antarctic Gonate Squid

Footage was sent to cephalopod experts to confirm what they suspected. Kat Bolstad of Auckland University of Technology, known for her work with the AUT Squid Squad, recognized the species based on a telltale trait: the large hook at the tip of each tentacle. That anatomical marker clinched the ID. It was, she said, the first known footage of a living Gonatus antarcticus, an animal scientists had studied only through remains—until now, Boing Boing reports. Prior to this, researchers knew little about how this squid behaved in the wild.

Life in the Midnight Zone

The squid’s appearance in the bathypelagic zone—a lightless stretch of water stretching from 3,300 to over 13,000 feet deep—opened up new questions. Was it male or female? How large can these squid get? What role do they play in the Southern Ocean’s food web?

Penguins are known to eat smaller specimens, while larger predators like the colossal squid may target adults. As IFLScience reports, this specimen’s coloration appeared vibrant, suggesting it was in good condition and not yet at the end of its life cycle.

What’s Next for Deep Sea Discovery?

The footage captured that day is slated for inclusion in a National Geographic documentary, but its scientific value is already rippling through the marine biology world. Every encounter like this chips away at the vast unknowns of the deep.

The Antarctic gonate squid had eluded study for over a century. Now, thanks to a delayed launch and a watchful eye on a dark Christmas morning, it has a place in our living record.

“What are the odds?” Perhaps slim. But in the deep sea, the improbable is often waiting just below the surface.