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Sea Monster, Caught on Film

The giant squid has been the subject of fantasy stories and myths for thousands of years. Scientists have tried to spot the sea creature in its natural habitat for decades, with no luck.

Last week, a team of Japanese scientists, led by Tsunemi Kubodera, reported taking the first pictures of the legendary deep-sea dweller alive.

Although it may live in oceans around the world, the giant squid is rarely ever seen. "This is the first time a full-grown, healthy squid has been sighted in its natural environment in deep water," said Kubodera.

The 26-foot-long squid, caught on a baited line, fought for more than four hours to escape. "It went after some bait that we had on the end of the camera and became stuck and left behind a tentacle," said Kyoichi Mori, a marine researcher on the team. The tentacle is 18 feet long.

The team of scientists used a remote-controlled robotic camera to capture the creature on film 3,000 feet underwater. They found the specimen by following sperm whales, which are known to hunt giant squids for food.

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