School Bus-Sized Jellyfish Caught on Video in Rare Sighting

The oceans are filled with many magnificent creatures, but not all of them are the size of a school bus. 

Scientists from California’s Schmidt Ocean Institute recently took a deep-sea excursion off the coast of Argentina, from Buenos Aires from Tierra del Fuego, where they had the chance to witness all sorts of rare sights—including the rarely-seen, and rather ginormous, phantom jellyfish, which they described as “a deep-sea jelly that can grow as long as a school bus.”

ROV pilots managed to capture video of the giant sea creature, officially known as Stygiomedusa gigantea, swimming approximately 830 feet below the water’s surface.

https://youtube.com/shorts/Or2raoKqd84?si=y-xizZjuUJvny1AS

Though they did not offer specific measurements for the individual jelly that they encountered, the Institute noted that the species’ bell can crow up to 3.3 feet in diameter, while their arms—of which there are four—can grow to be 33 feet in length. Which is just short of the height of a typical telephone pole. While they may look intimidating, they’re not dangerous to humans.

“They do not have any stinging tentacles,” the Institute noted in a press release, “but use their arms to catch prey, including plankton and small fish.”

It was a lucky find for the scientists, as phantom jellies are rarely seen. In fact, there have been less than 120 sightings of the creature in the past 110 years—meaning an average of just over one per year—and little is known about them. 

Because they are believed to live in the “midnight zone,” a deep part of the ocean that extends down over 13,000, remains in total darkness, and is marked by bitter cold temperatures and intense pressure, they cannot be easily observed. They are believed to live throughout the world, with the exception of the Arctic Ocean.

“With every expedition to the deep sea, we find the ocean is full of life—as much as we see on land, and perhaps more because the ocean contains 98 percent of the living space on this planet,” said Dr. Jyotika Virmani, the Schmidt Ocean Institute’s executive director. “We have been privileged to work with outstanding scientists across three expeditions in Argentinian waters, and look forward to seeing their research continue to unfold, unlocking new understanding and inspiration.”