Prepare to be amazed by the incredible creatures lurking in the depths of the ocean. These deep-sea dwellers, with their eerie shapes and mysterious behavior, never fail to send shivers down our spines. Just take a look at this spine-chilling encounter between a robotic submarine and a deep-sea squid!
The NOAA Office of Ocean Exploration and Research recently shared a captivating image on Facebook. It captures the Deep Discoverer (D2), a remotely operated submersible, being stalked by a mesmerizing deep-sea squid. This photo marks the beginning of the thrilling Okeanos diving mission, which kicked off on October 31 and will continue until November 21.
“Ever get the feeling you’re being watched?!” exclaims the Facebook post. “Good thing D2 has Seirios standing guard. Referred to in the industry as a ‘camera sled,’ Seirios is tethered directly to the ship and then to D2, providing illumination and a wide-angle view as she hovers above D2, expanding our view of the seafloor and catching glimpses of things we’d otherwise miss…”
The NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer is currently busy mapping areas off the coast of Florida, building on the success of the “Windows to the Deep 2019” mission that took place from May 30 to July 12. The captivating image above was captured during that mission. The current expedition aims to explore poorly understood regions of deep-water off the Southeastern United States continental margin.
The exploration ship dedicated most of October to 24-hour mapping operations, gathering as much information as possible. So far, the team has completed four dives, all at a depth of approximately 2,600 feet (800 meters). These dives have revealed breathtaking sights and discoveries. For instance, during dive 2, D2 stumbled upon a stunning coral garden, black corals, and a delicate glass sponge.
But corals aren’t the only fascinating creatures caught on camera by the remotely operated vehicle. The first dive revealed sea snails and starfish, while the beginning of dive 4 brought an adorable octopus face to face with D2. Sharks, various fish, and crustaceans have also made appearances during these incredible dives.
