Japan divers capture rare footage of live giant squid | AFP

Rare video captured by divers shows a 2.5-metre giant squid swimming in the waters off Japan's west coast. Giant squid are known to live in the waters around the country and occasionally wash ashore, but seeing them alive in the wild remains relatively rare.

N.B.: AFP’s services and content are for professional use only

[Mini_Mii]

Marine Biologist here - generally the only reason we see giant squids on the surface is because they're ill or dying. This one (given how they look) is likely on its way out 🙁 Phenomenal footage though!

[pocketmarcy]

Even if it’s about to die, it’s so incredibly rare to see these creatures alive, these divers are very lucky

[christymazzagatti]

This exact squid is precisely what sailors from like the 1600s considered a sea monster.

[Adamm]

“Detecting multiple Leviathan Class Creatures in the region. Are you sure whatever you are doing is worth it?”

[mikeman]

Imagine, if it was in healthy shape, how fast this thing could swim. We've all seen smaller squids and octopus darting around in the oceans at lightning speeds. I wonder how fast this thing could get if it had to.

[AllgoodthingsTv]

That thing is eerie as hell. Although... I'm not sure what's scarier: the sight of it or the fact that something like that has existed for so long in the depths of the ocean and we're just now catching a glimpse of it. What other creatures are there like this that we just haven't laid eyes on yet?

[paulrogers]

Worked on a trawler in Alaska in the mid-80s. One day we picked up two squids, one was 12 feet from tip of head to end of tentacles, the other was 10 feet. They lived through the ordeal of the netting and being brought on board. Took four guys to carry them from the processing deck, through the engine room, up the internal stairs and out to the end of the deck to release them. Their eyes were rolling around, looking at everything the entire time.

[galacticknight]

This squid is dying. Giant squids don't come to the surface unless they're sick, dying, or dead. It's because they have a certain amount of ammonia in their bodies and when they're dying, their ammonia levels are thrown off balance, which causes them to float to the surface.

[hippolytabaker]

I've been obsessed with this video for a few days now.
It's dying. The only chances we really get to see giant squid in the water is when they're starving or dying. And yet it's still one of the most mesmerizing, beautiful animals I've ever seen in my life.
When I was a kid, hyperfixating on rare, giant sea animals, I could never have imagined one day seeing footage like this. And now that I have, it's like all those years of wanting to see a giant squid are justified.

[diegogalvan]

I remember as a kid reading about Giant Squids and how they were still viewed as fictional or myth, it’s fascinating to see how much has changed within 15 years and the amount of new information that has surfaced regarding these animals

[_Listen_to_Solar_Kama_Sutra]

The balls it takes to swim next to that thing

[TheLegendOfRandy]

This is undoubtedly terrifying, but these animals seemingly only surface when they're dying. They're so incredibly rare that they've only been caught on film a tiny number of times. The deep ocean is scary beyond words.

[scottb]

WOW did you see the diver next to him? This was a legit giant squid. We knew they existed but to actually see a clear shot of a real one on camera is pretty crazy to see. That is a very brave diver. Interesting that the squid didn't try to make fish food out of him.

[Severian_of_the_Guild]

Rest in Peace badass squid, hope he lived a long life

[clownshoesmma]

Poor guy. He’s definitely sick and dying. Bless his 3 hearts, hopefully he lived and got better

[No_Ghosts]

It's romantic how they spend their entire lives in the deep, then when they are dying they finally venture upwards towards to the light and break the surface to discover this entirely different world has been up there the entire time

[carson]

What I wouldn’t give to see more of these things in their prime in the deep to know their behaviour, breeding, how they hunt prey, how they elude/fight whales and fight themselves.

Amazing and mysterious animals.

[dtj]

Very brave divers. It may be unwell but it's still a giant cephlapod. Having watched footage of Humboldt squid feeding I would probably not want to be anywhere near that thing. Amazing footage though.

[RossEvans-cstq]

I got sweaty palms just watching-hats off to those divers

[Tropicsca]

What's most impressive is how far camera quality has improved