Scientists Find Cute Googly-Eyed Squid Deep ‘Neath the Ocean Waves

This squid is so cute I’d take it out on a date! (I sincerely hope this happens. I set up a profile on OKCuteSquid and everything.) Unlike terrifying giant squids, this little guy is drawing the internet’s attention for his goofy googly eyes. Check out the original video here:

HEY THERE LITTLE BUDDY! According to the YouTube description, this thing is called a “stubby squid” and the researchers heard in the video found it off the coast of California nearly 3,000 feet under the surface. Despite its name, it’s more closely related to cuttlefish than octopuses or squid. They’re usually found closer to the surface and shore, but retreat to the ocean depths to lay their eggs.

Even cuter than the squid itself (which the crew misidentifies as a cuttlefish) is the conversation the EV Nautilus team has about it. “It’s like some little kid dropped their toy,” says one. “I think this is a good spot to end our watch,” says another. If only science were always this fun.

The cuteness of the stubby squid, the researchers’ banter, and all that contagious laughter may have helped drive this video’s popularity. It’s earned over half a million views in just a few days.

This isn’t the Nautilus’s only brush with going viral, though. Just a few weeks ago, they found this strange purple orb and rocketed to 1.7 million views on YouTube:

Two years ago, they witnessed this amazing deep-sea siphonophore, to the tune of 6.8 million views:

Great stuff, EV Nautilus! We look forward to seeing more awesome ocean stuff in the future.

What was your favorite EV Nautilus video? Let us know in the comments below or @WhatsTrending on Twitter!