Giant car-sized underwater blob baffles deep sea divers
the thing from Lutfu Tanrıover on Vimeo.
Digital Reporter
Sunday, August 9, 2015, 11:00 AM - The dark waters of the ocean are filled with mysterious beings, but even experienced divers were unprepared for what they encountered while exploring the Mediterranean Sea off the coast of Turkey.
On July 9, 2015, Lutfu Tanriover captured video of a giant, glittering orb floating more than twenty metres below the surface.
Measuring nearly four metres wide, Tanriover and his crew were baffled by the incredible sight, unable to imagine what it could possibly be.
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After seeing the video online, Doctor Michael Vecchione of the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History came forth with a possible answer to the divers' underwater mystery.
Vecchione believes the giant translucent blob was a massive nest of eggs -- courtesy of a red flying squid.
The sparkling spots are likely tens of thousands of freshly laid squid eggs.
Female squids will discharge the gelatinous cloud, that grows larger as it mixes with seawater.
Red flying squid (Ommastrephes bartramii). Courtesy of Wikipedia.
The animals have been know to grown to nearly two feet in length. They glide through the water using their tentacles to propel themselves forward, simulating a form of underwater flight when seen from a distance.
Up close, they carry a few more frightening traits, mainly a powerful beak and countless suckers lined with tiny teeth along their limbs. Ferocious predators, they use their extremities to prey on large fish and other squid.
The car-sized sack was a rare find so close to shore, according to Vecchione. Squids are primarily deep sea creatures that thrive in open waters.
Eggs incubate in the watery sacks before hatching within two to three days, unleashing millions of baby squid into the sea.
SOURCE: Deep Sea News
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