jstn:

Discovery/NHK’s show about the giant squid is a must-watch if you’re into such things. There’s some debate about how interesting the footage is and whether or not it’s technically The First, but personally I think it’s incredible. They lure it with a smaller squid as bait, and it hangs around eating for 23 minutes while they film it in bright white light. It’s much better than a couple tentacles flashing by in infrared. From NHK’s press release:

During a dive by Dr. Kubodera, an NHK cameraman, and the submersible pilot at the depth of 630 meters, they came face-to-face with the giant squid and followed it to a depth of 900 meters. The squid was missing its characteristic two longest tentacles, but nevertheless measured about 3 m in length. If this pair of tentacles had been intact, the creature would probably have measured 7 - 8 m.

Mark Dery’s essay about the video is a great followup.

By the way, Discovery, I would gladly pay for the opportunity to download the unedited 23 minutes from the main camera in HD.

(via poptech)

oceanportal:

Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History’s giant squid expert Clyde Roper has been searching for giant squid for 50 years — and boy is he glad they’ve finally been caught on film! Read his blog post about his own expeditions to film them, including climbing through the three stomachs of a sperm whale.

Photo: © Ingrid H. Roper

Elusive Giant Squid Captured on Film

A team of scientists have finally photographed the creature thought to have inspired the myth of the “kraken.” The team went to depths greater than 3,000 feet and came face-to-face with the the giant squid. It is described as having eyes the size of dinner plates and razor sharp suckers. Footage of the massive predator will premiere on Discovery Channel’s “Monster Squid: The Giant Is Real” on January 27 at 8 p.m. ET. - Read Discovery’s press release for more information.

Photo by: AP Photo / NHK / NEP / Discovery Channel

Ed note: Why the giant squid is the dragon of the deep.