Yosuke Tanaka and his wife Miki, both scuba divers, have achieved a remarkable feat in Japan. They’ve become the first scuba divers to capture video footage of a giant squid. This is genuinely a world-first occurrence. The footage is particularly extraordinary as the huge squid can be seen swimming alongside the divers near the surface.
Footage of a giant squid has been taken previously, but all existing video was taken at extreme depths with the aid of ocean submersibles or after a deceased giant squid had washed up on shore.
The squid in the video is enormous, with experts estimating the length of its mantle to be approximately 2.5m/8ft, making the creature’s total length around 6m to 7m/20ft to 25ft long.
Giant squid tend to be solitary and shy creatures, living at the ocean’s depths. While they are often portrayed by Hollywood as ruthless killers, that reputation couldn’t be further from the truth.
Unfortunately, the squid in the video appears to be ill, as indicated by the flaking skin on its mantle and the slow, sluggish movement of its tentacles.
One of the scuba divers, Tanaka, spoke to the press about the potential risks involved in swimming near to the tentacles of the giant squid. It should be noted that scuba divers should never touch anything underwater, in order for their safety and the safety of the ocean.
Watch the footage of the giant squid below.
Want to seek adventures like this one underwater? Sign up for your PADI Open Water Diver course today and become a certified scuba diver so you can experience everything the ocean has to offer.
