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Bigfin Squid: November 9, 2021
It’s not every dive that deep-sea explorers encounter a bigfin squid (Magnapinna sp.). It’s actually pretty unusual. While bigfin squid are widely distributed throughout the world's deep ocean, only roughly a dozen sightings have been confirmed worldwide. So, when we captured an adult bigfin squid on camera during Dive 10 of Windows to the Deep 2021 off the West Florida Escarpment in the Gulf of Mexico, it was quite an exciting moment. The squid seen in this video was at 2,385 meters (1.5 miles) depth, but bigfin squid can live deeper than any other known squid, and the current depth record for a bigfin squid is 4,735 meters (3 miles).