Night Swimming with Sea Monsters | Ocean Soul

I was doing a story for National

I was doing a story for National Geographic magazine about squid they’re

Geographic magazine about squid they’re

Geographic magazine about squid they’re kind of the James Dean of the sea they

kind of the James Dean of the sea they

kind of the James Dean of the sea they live fast and die young but in that

live fast and die young but in that

live fast and die young but in that brief period that they live they have

brief period that they live they have

brief period that they live they have extraordinary lives so one of the

extraordinary lives so one of the

extraordinary lives so one of the components for this squid story was for

components for this squid story was for

components for this squid story was for me to go and photograph the Humboldt

me to go and photograph the Humboldt

me to go and photograph the Humboldt squid this this alleged sea monster in

squid this this alleged sea monster in

squid this this alleged sea monster in the Sea of Cortez of Mexico you know the

the Sea of Cortez of Mexico you know the

the Sea of Cortez of Mexico you know the local fishermen in Mexico refer to these

local fishermen in Mexico refer to these

local fishermen in Mexico refer to these things as Diablo Rojo the Red Devils and

things as Diablo Rojo the Red Devils and

things as Diablo Rojo the Red Devils and they’re deathly afraid of them you know

they’re deathly afraid of them you know

they’re deathly afraid of them you know there are tales of fishermen falling

there are tales of fishermen falling

there are tales of fishermen falling over the upon days into the ocean and

over the upon days into the ocean and

over the upon days into the ocean and never being seen again so I didn’t

never being seen again so I didn’t

never being seen again so I didn’t really know what I would encounter and

really know what I would encounter and

really know what I would encounter and these are squid that are typically six

these are squid that are typically six

these are squid that are typically six to eight feet in length they’re big

to eight feet in length they’re big

to eight feet in length they’re big animals they’re as big as I am but they

animals they’re as big as I am but they

animals they’re as big as I am but they have about 24,000 teeth that line their

have about 24,000 teeth that line their

have about 24,000 teeth that line their arms and they have a mouth that’s like a

arms and they have a mouth that’s like a

arms and they have a mouth that’s like a parrot it’s a beak like I’m a car that

parrot it’s a beak like I’m a car that

parrot it’s a beak like I’m a car that could take a quarter sized chunk of

could take a quarter sized chunk of

could take a quarter sized chunk of flesh out of their prey my greatest fear

flesh out of their prey my greatest fear

flesh out of their prey my greatest fear was that several of them would gang up

was that several of them would gang up

was that several of them would gang up on me and and grab me and swim away and

on me and and grab me and swim away and

on me and and grab me and swim away and I’d be taken down into a thousand foot

I’d be taken down into a thousand foot

I’d be taken down into a thousand foot deaths or something so you can imagine

deaths or something so you can imagine

deaths or something so you can imagine just encountering one of these things

just encountering one of these things

just encountering one of these things never mind hundreds of them but that’s

never mind hundreds of them but that’s

never mind hundreds of them but that’s what I dealt with

what I dealt with

what I dealt with but I went out on two different missions

but I went out on two different missions

but I went out on two different missions in both cases I was always working at

in both cases I was always working at

in both cases I was always working at night because that’s when the squid will

night because that’s when the squid will

night because that’s when the squid will come up into shallower water so what I

come up into shallower water so what I

come up into shallower water so what I would do is I would wait and as the

would do is I would wait and as the

would do is I would wait and as the school began to move up during the

school began to move up during the

school began to move up during the evening I would begin to start diving

evening I would begin to start diving

evening I would begin to start diving and they would just be flashing they

and they would just be flashing they

and they would just be flashing they sort of glow they they they have this

sort of glow they they they have this

sort of glow they they they have this luminosity to them where they sort of

luminosity to them where they sort of

luminosity to them where they sort of flash in colors and you’d see a few arms

flash in colors and you’d see a few arms

flash in colors and you’d see a few arms and tentacles and then they’d be gone

and tentacles and then they’d be gone

and tentacles and then they’d be gone and it’s very spooky at any given moment

and it’s very spooky at any given moment

and it’s very spooky at any given moment or squid can come at you from any

or squid can come at you from any

or squid can come at you from any direction like I grabbed a couple of

direction like I grabbed a couple of

direction like I grabbed a couple of times there was a couple of evenings

times there was a couple of evenings

times there was a couple of evenings once when I was hanging out a line and

once when I was hanging out a line and

once when I was hanging out a line and just waiting for something to happen and

just waiting for something to happen and

just waiting for something to happen and I felt my arm just get towed out from my

I felt my arm just get towed out from my

I felt my arm just get towed out from my side and come in and grab my camera

side and come in and grab my camera

side and come in and grab my camera housing it sort of swam off with me

housing it sort of swam off with me

housing it sort of swam off with me attached and I had to kind of wrestle it

attached and I had to kind of wrestle it

attached and I had to kind of wrestle it back for them another a couple of times

back for them another a couple of times

back for them another a couple of times where they sort of tested me where they

where they sort of tested me where they

where they sort of tested me where they would flail out their arms and sort of

would flail out their arms and sort of

would flail out their arms and sort of you know come at me and I just fend them

you know come at me and I just fend them

you know come at me and I just fend them off with my camera housing but to see

off with my camera housing but to see

off with my camera housing but to see these animals and see them changing

these animals and see them changing

these animals and see them changing colors they go from white to bright red

colors they go from white to bright red

colors they go from white to bright red and obviously shades in between they

and obviously shades in between they

and obviously shades in between they would expel clouds of ink which you know

would expel clouds of ink which you know

would expel clouds of ink which you know was a defense mechanism it was it was

was a defense mechanism it was it was

was a defense mechanism it was it was quite amazing really really a special

quite amazing really really a special

quite amazing really really a special experience