Ocean explorers have finally achieved one of their most alluring but elusive objectives: video footage of the actual legendary architeuthis (Architeuthis dux) in its natural heavy-sea habitat. Scientists state that the actual spectacular film, captured throughout an expedition off Japan's Ogasawara archipelago, answers enduring questions about the enigmatic spineless.

The 6-week objective was financed by the Japan Broadcasting Commission (NHK) and also the US Discovery Channel, as well as took place in July. It is simply now being discussed publicly, as the two companies prepare to transmit documentaries that include the footage later this particular month.

The actual squid was first glimpsed using a specialized digital camera system, called Medusa, which the team used from a ship and left suspended about 700 meters lower in water. Later, scientists came encounter-to-encounter with 1 while in a submersible. "It had been so stunning that I have no phrases to clarify it," states zoologist Tsunemi Kubodera of Japan's Nationwide Museum of Nature as well as Science, who was in the actual submersible.

The camera system originated by Edith Widder, a deep-ocean explorer as well as founder from the Ocean Research and Preservation Association within Fort Pierce, Florida. Your woman thinks how the key to its success was an emphasis on the actual squid's feeling of view. To prevent bright lighting that might scare the squid away, the system uses a low-light digital camera with the dim warning light, because couple of deep-sea animals observe light with such an extended wavelength.

Hoping of sketching the creatures in, Widder utilized a different sort of sunshine. Although hardly any sunlight permeates to the deep ocean, many deep dwellers produce a bioluminescent gentle. Past research by Widder suggests that the bioluminescence may act like a sort of burglar security alarm, among additional functions. The concept is that the bioluminescence made by some prey when they are attacked may serve to attract larger potential predators — such a giant squid — that will then eat the attacker.

Widder and her co-workers therefore installed Medusa by having an electronic gadget that resembled the bioluminescence which jellyfish produce when assaulted to function as a lure. It worked: Medusa first experienced a squid during its second implementation, igniting jubilation on the actual ship. "I simply was amazed," says Widder," I couldn't have been happier."

Medusa ended up encountering the squid 5 times, culminating with a full look at of one apparently targeting the camera system in a manner in conjuction with the alarm hypothesis. The calamari was regarding 4 meters long, even though giant calamari can grow as big as ten meters or even more.

During a dive in regards to a week following the first Medusa success in their Triton completely submersible, Kubodera as well as pilot Rick Harris had a face-in order to-face encounter. Once they had taken enough low-gentle footage, these people turned about the sub's vibrant main lights, expecting to spook the squid. Instead, the pet continued in order to feed on bait tied to the sub. For eighteen mesmerizing moments the pair watched since the huge pet's skin shifted between unexpected gold and silver metal hues.

This is a spliced video of the key squid footage from Discovery Channel's "Monster Squid" broadcast on January 27, 2013. Thank you Discovery Channel for broadcasting this program. This post is not for profit! I just want to share the joy for all those Ceph-heads out there.