Up until fairly recently, the giant squid was considered a cryptozoological myth, sort of like Nessie. But ever since Japanese researchers took the first photos of a giant squid in its natural habitat back in 2004, the rare and monstrous species appears to be getting more and more comfortable in the spotlight.
Just this past week, for instance, a giant squid was seen puttering around Toyama Bay in Honshu, Japan. The deep-sea creature is known to be elusive, but several onlookers captured incredible footage of its near-the-surface debut.
Here is some footage of what used to be one of the sea’s greatest myths. Keep in mind that the first video of a giant squid was captured in 2012, so this is a real treat!
This particular squid is about 13 feet long, which makes it a relatively small specimen. Scientists say that giant squids can grow up to 43 feet in length.
To show you just how close the squid came to the surface, here is some astounding footage from YouTuber fukusuke234:
No one is quite sure why the giant squid was venturing out of the deep that day, since it is believed that most live hundreds of feet underwater. Is the giant squid truly over its camera shyness, or is this another example of climate change at work? Personally, I think this is the beginning of an HP Lovecraft-esque invasion.