In 1997, scientists strapped cameras to sperm whales to find giant squid. 7 years later, researchers finally filmed the elusive monster alive

For decades, the giant squid was known more from evidence than direct observation. Sperm whales returned from deep dives carrying strange circular scars. Those wounds suggested violent encounters with an enormous animal hiding far below the surface. Scientists knew sperm whales hunted giant squid, but almost nobody had seen the predator alive in its natural habitat.

In early 1997, researchers tried a bold experiment off New Zealand. They would let a sperm whale become their guide. The idea was simple: follow the hunter and perhaps find the giant squid. Instead, the expedition produced something more valuable than dramatic footage. It exposed how difficult deep-sea research really was and helped shape the search that eventually brought the giant squid into view.