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(STORYFUL) - After multiple expeditions, researchers have found a giant squid in the Gulf of Mexico.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Office of Ocean Exploration and Research reported that a deep-sea exploration crew searching for giant squid in the Gulf of Mexico had found one measuring up to 12 feet in length.
The Journey into Midnight expedition team began their search on June 7, NOAA said.
The images of the squid, captured about 100 miles southeast of New Orleans, were filmed on a deep sea camera called the Medusa which was dropped to depths between 915 and 1,830 meters (3,000 and 6,000 feet), according to NOAA.
The Medusa completed its fifth deployment on June 19 when scientists were reviewing what passed by the lens, and the long tentacles of the squid became apparent.
"People quickly gathered around. We knew immediately that it was a squid. It was also big, but because it was coming straight at the camera, it was impossible to tell exactly how big. But big – at least 3 to 3.7 meters (10 to 12 feet) long," wrote crew members Sönke Johnsen and Edie Widder.
The team noted that thousands of remotely operated vehicles and submersible dives prior to this expedition never spotted a giant squid.
"This suggests that the animal does not like the bright lights of ROVs and that stealth monitoring of the sort possible with the Medusa can allow us to see what has never been seen before," crew members said.
"What were once monsters to be feared are now curious and magnificent creatures that delight," the expedition team said. "We like to feel that science and exploration has brought about this change, making the world less scary and more wondrous with each new thing we learn."