Rare Deep-Sea Squid Spotted During Cook Islands Ocean Floor Survey

Scientists have captured remarkable footage of an elusive bigfin squid gliding through the deep waters of the Cook Islands, marking only the second dozen or so recorded sightings of this mysterious creature. The ghostly white squid, with its distinctive orchid-shaped fins and trailing tentacles, was filmed at depths exceeding 16,400 feet as it moved gracefully above a field of polymetallic nodules—potato-shaped rocks rich in valuable minerals.

The extraordinary encounter occurred during an expedition aboard the research vessel E/V Nautilus, operated by the Ocean Exploration Cooperative Institute. Dr. Adam Soule, the institute’s director, described the moment as generating “a rush of excitement” among both the crew and thousands of online viewers following the live stream. The bigfin squid, belonging to the genus Magnapinna, remains one of the ocean’s most enigmatic species—never physically captured and observed alive fewer than 24 times in scientific history.

The expedition is taking place within the Cook Islands’ exclusive economic zone, a vast 734,000-square-mile area of ocean between American Samoa and French Polynesia. While the mission aims to map and study the seafloor ecosystem, it comes amid growing scrutiny over potential deep-sea mining interests in the region. The footage highlights both the incredible biodiversity of these remote ocean depths and the importance of understanding these ecosystems before they face potential industrial pressures.

This rare sighting underscores how much remains unknown about our planet’s deepest waters and the unique creatures that call them home.