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This Week's Top Finds: Five Weirdest Deep Sea Drifters

Legacy image
Credit
Ocean Exploration Trust

We come across some pretty face-melting biology as we explore the ocean, and, with a few notable exceptions, most of the coolest creatures aren't ones for which we were intentionally looking. We never know what will drift past our cameras, but we're glad the creatures below found their way into our orbit. If our luck with beautiful biology means one thing, it's the final nail in the coffin of the idea that the deep ocean is a desert - the thriving ecosystems we come across every day prove that some of the most thriving and lush regions of the Earth remain totally unexplored.

Without further ado, here are our top 5 favorite ocean drifters (called such because they happened to drift into view, not because they neccessarily drift in currents) from the ECOGIG cruise so far, our tribute to the wonders that the deep sea has to offer.

5. Ray gets up close and personal with Hercules

Ray
Credit
Ocean Exploration Trust

4. Flytrap Anemone, so named due to its uncanny resemblance to the Venus flytrap plant

 

Flytrap anemone
Credit
Ocean Exploration Trust

3. Stunning Siphonophore: A colonial organism (see more photos here)

 

Legacy image
Credit
Ocean Exploration Trust

2. This Fish (looking oddly Muppet-like)

 

Muppet fish
Credit
Ocean Exploration Trust

1. Haunting Vampire Squid (Learn more here)

 

Vampire squid
Credit
Ocean Exploration Trust