The ocean is a mysterious place. While more than 225,000 marine species are known to inhabit its waters, another 2 million remain a complete mystery to humans.
Most recently, two divers captured incredible footage of their unexpected encounter with a bizarre marine creature measuring 26 feet long.
Andrew Buttle, 48, had inherited a New Zealand island from his grandfather, and he and his friend Steve Hathaway, 56, were determined to explore it. Diving off the coast of Whakaari, they got down thirty-two feet deep, where they encountered an unbelievable sight.
In the video, you see the men observing a giant, gelatinous deep-sea worm.
The bizarre create moves gracefully through the water, shuddering and pulsing as the divers try not to disturb it. The animal is formed like a bright, cylindrical cone, having been described by some as a “hollow, wind-sock-like creature.”
Buttle thinks it’s a giant pyrosome.
“Having never seen one in person, or even footage or photos before, I was quite incredulous and elated that such a creature existed,” he told The New Zealand Herald. “It was very puzzling but also fantastic to be able to view it right up close and spend so much time with it.”
Hathaway, the founder of Young Ocean Explorer, echoes his friend’s sentiments, saying: “Without a doubt, the highlight of the trip was to find the pyrosome. I’ve wanted to see one for many years now.” They generally live in the upper layers of open ocean waters, but because they tend not to stick near the shore, divers are generally the only ones lucky enough to get a glimpse of them.
Pyrosomes are made up of hundreds to thousands of smaller creatures called ‘zooids’ held together by a gelatinous tunic.
Zooids pull water through tubes, feeding on the plankton inside before pushing the filtered liquid back out. As they pull in and push out water, it allows them to move.
Within the past few years, pyrosomes have recently colonized colder areas, filling waters from the West Coast of the United States all the way up to Alaska.
According to Live Science, in the right conditions, pyrosomes can form high-density blooms with dozens of individuals per square meter. In fact, their presence in 2017 caused the Pacific Northwest fishing industry to struggle; the creatures kept clogging fishermen’s nets, requiring an incredible amount of time to remove.
“Occasionally they are caught in nets but not many intact large specimens have been caught to my knowledge,” said Buttle.
Since being uploaded online, the men’s footage has gone viral. Some say the creature’s amazing while others consider it to be nightmare-fuel.
What do you think? Be sure to let us know what you think in the comments!
See the incredible footage below!
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