A rare underwater sighting has provided the first confirmed live observation of a bigfin squid in the northeastern Pacific Ocean. The footage was captured on August 7 by an uncrewed submersible during an expedition exploring underwater mountains, known as seamounts, off the coast of California. Researchers from the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) made the discovery while exploring the deep ocean at depths exceeding 10,000 feet (3,000 meters). Seamounts are underwater mountains that rise from the ocean floor but do not reach the surface, often supporting unique marine life. The bigfin squid was observed hovering near the seafloor with its arms and tentacles bent at a 90-degree angle, a posture researchers have dubbed the "elbow pose." Olívia Soares Pereira, a deep-sea ecologist and postdoctoral fellow at MBARI, suggested that this behavior might be part of the squid's feeding strategy, allowing it to capture prey without entangling its limbs. Bigfin squid are known to live in extremely deep waters, often below 20,000 feet (6,000 meters), and have arms and tentacles that can be up to 20 times the length of their body. The squid observed in the video was about 4.1 feet (1.25 meters) long, including its body, arms, and tentacles. The sighting took place near the Davidson Seamount, a well-known underwater mountain, at a depth of approximately 10,751 feet (3,277 meters), about 80 miles (130 kilometers) southwest of Monterey. This observation was part of a 10-day expedition called Seamount Hotspots, which ran from August 3 to August 12. The team was exploring biodiversity hotspots within the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary, specifically the Davidson Seamount and Sur Ridge. While the researchers were not actively searching for bigfin squid, the encounter highlights the region's rich and unexpected marine life. This is the first confirmed live observation of a bigfin squid in the northeastern Pacific. The last such sighting by MBARI researchers was off Hawaii in 2001, though approximately 70 bigfin squid have been observed or collected in total. Pereira also spotted two other bigfin squid during an earlier expedition to the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, showing that these elusive creatures may be more widespread than previously thought. The discovery adds to the growing understanding of deep-sea ecosystems and the mysterious species that inhabit them.