Giant squid filmed in Pacific depths
JAPAN: Scientists and broadcasters said Monday they have
captured footage of an elusive giant squid, up to eight metres (26 feet)
long that roams the depths of the Pacific Ocean.
Japan’s National Science Museum succeeded in filming the deep-sea
creature in its natural habitat for the first time, working with
Japanese public broadcaster NHK and the US Discovery Channel.
The massive invertebrate is the stuff of legend, with sightings of a
huge ocean-dwelling beast reported by sailors for centuries.
The creature is thought to be the genesis of the Nordic legend of
Kraken, a sea monster believed to have attacked ships in waters off
Scandinavia over the last millennium.
Modern-day scientists on their own Moby Dick-style search used a
submersible to get them into the dark and cold depths of the northern
Pacific Ocean, where at around 630 metres they managed to film a three-metre
specimen. After around 100 missions, during which they spent 400 hours
in the cramped submarine, the three-man crew tracked the creature from a
spot some 15 kilometres (nine miles) east of Chichi island in the north
Pacific Ocean.
AFP
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