Deep-sea dwellers are among some of the most intriguing marine creatures in the world, partly because it isn’t very often that we get the opportunity to observe them or their natural behaviors. Luckily for these hidden cameras, a pack of hungry 2-meter-long Humboldt squid have risen from the deep to partake in their hour of feeding.
When large numbers of krill gather near the ocean’s surface to snack on plankton, their presence gets noticed by predatory fish. But as you’ve probably heard, there’s always a bigger fish. In this case, the famous saying refers to the fearsome Humboldt squid, which like to feed on those very fish. It is the way of mother nature’s food chain.
Humboldt squid travel in massive packs, working together to corral the fish into concentrated groups that are easier for the squid to pluck at. With their hooked tentacles and razor-sharp bills, they’re able to snatch and tear through flesh as if it were nothing.
As the Humboldt squid attack, they flash red and white. Scientists believe that this is a form of communication that serves to confuse the enemy and to let other members of the squid pack know that they’re about to launch an attack.
After the Humboldt squid engorge themselves wish fish, they swim back into the depths of the ocean as a pack, not to be seen again until the next time of feeding.
