For centuries, sailors have told tall tales about the largest and scariest beasts in the sea. But some sea monsters turn out to be real.
After four years of work, a team of scientists photographed a live adult giant squid in its natural habitat, deep in the sea. On The Cycle, Richard Ellis, one of America's leading marine conservationists, discussed the planning and hard work that went into the achievement. "Other expeditions have tried in the past to do this and all of them have failed up to this point," he said. The recent expedition succeeded by using a "baited hook method." The crew hung another type of squid on a hook and waited for the giant squid to seek it out. They filmed the entire sequence, including images of the giant squid attacking the bait.
The footage will air on Discovery's January 27 special called Monster Squid: The Giant is Real.