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Got it Edition CA NY Open Metro navigation US News US News Metro Long Island Politics World News US News Metro Long Island Politics World News Search Search Metro Haunting sea creature spotted off California coast for first time ever By Marina Peña Published Sep. 5, 2026, 5:33 p.m. ET See more of our coverage in your search results. Add The California Post on Google A rare squid was spotted for the first time ever in the northeast Pacific Ocean — one of only a handful of sightings of the elusive creature on record. The bigfin squid — which has only been observed or collected about 70 times on record — was captured off the coast of California by the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute . 4 A rarely seen bigfin squid is observed by scientists during an expedition aboard MBARI’s flagship research vessel David Packard to study the ecology of local seamounts. MBARI Reasearchers came across the enigmatic creature on Aug. 7 as it swam into view of a camera aboard their underwater vehicle nearly two miles beneath the ocean’s surface . Olívia Soares Pereira, a postdoctoral researcher for the institute, said she thought the creature was a jellyfish at first, but then realized it was something much more rare when she saw the sea animal’s “elbow” “I knew exactly who this was and immediately screamed ‘ Magnapinna !’ before the rest of the squid even came into the screen,” she said. “It was incredibly exciting!” Explore More Dramatic twist in harassment suit against star CBS correspondent Inside Lindsay Clancy’s life at psych hospital where she’ll remain following mistrial Fox Business star sues Whole Foods after vicious dog attack Researchers added that the squid was hovering above the seafloor, undulating two large fins and trailing eight arms and two tentacles. The crew used a laser measuring system to estimate that the squid was about 1.25 meters (4.1 feet) long from the top of the body to the ends of the arms. Spotting the rare creature wasn’t the goal of the expedition. Researchers had set out to study seamounts — underwater mountains — off the coast of Central California, including at Sur Ridge and Davidson Seamount. The seamounts are hot spots for biodiversity, providing habitat for corals, sponges and even an octopus garden. Download The California Post App, follow us on social, and subscribe to our newsletters California Post News : Facebook , Instagram , TikTok , X , YouTube , WhatsApp , LinkedIn California Post Sports Facebook , Instagram , TikTok , YouTube , X California Post Opinion California Post Newsletters : Sign up here! California Post App : Download here! Home delivery : Sign up here! Page Six Hollywood : Sign up here! 4 Olívia Soares Pereira set to examine data and samples collected during the Seamount Hotspots expedition to better understand the unique communities of life at Sur Ridge and Davidson Seamount. MBARI The expedition was aimed at gathering information to determine whether whales were leaving furrows in the sediment of the Davidson Seamount, about 80 miles southwest of Monterey, as they chased fish for food. Researchers were using an underwater drone tethered to the research vessel by cables. Roughly the size of a small car, the vehicle was hovering just above the ocean floor as researchers and pilots searched for furrows potentially left behind by whales. To help see if the furrows were the doing of the whales, researchers collected water samples to conduct environmental DNA. They will look into bits of themselves that animals shed while cruising through the ocean, Pereira said. 4 Only about 70 bigfin squid have ever been observed or collected. MBARI They also left behind hydrophones, which are meant to capture sound, and could lead them to identify the specific whale species found in the area. Andrew DeVogelaere, a senior researcher on the expedition, said he was focused on the seafloor when the squid suddenly came into view. “I was stunned — this is the first confirmed bigfin squid sighting in Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary and a powerful reminder of what we still have to discover in the ocean’s depths. We live next door to a magical place,” he said. 4 MBARI and NOAA scientists, including onboard collaborator Andrew DeVogelaere (left), survey the seafloor near Davidson Seamount. MBARI Not much is known about the squid, including its diet, how its reproduces and how it uses its tentacles. “I’ve always been fascinated by deep-sea animals,” Pereira told the LA Times . “When I heard about the Magnapinna first, I never thought I would be seeing one one day.” Filed under animals california pacific ocean research scientists 9/5/26 Read Next NYC finally moves students out of contaminated basement cl... 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NYC’s rat-attracting, traffic-snarling menace is back with a vengeance See All Columnists A rarely seen bigfin squid is observed by scientists during an expedition aboard MBARI's flagship research vessel David Packard to study the ecology of local seamounts. MBARI Olívia Soares Pereira set to examine data and samples collected during the Seamount Hotspots expedition to better understand the unique communities of life at Sur Ridge and Davidson Seamount. MBARI Only about 70 bigfin squid have ever been observed or collected. MBARI MBARI and NOAA scientists, including onboard collaborator Andrew DeVogelaere (left), survey the seafloor near Davidson Seamount. 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