‘Terrifying’ deep dive beneath Antarctica uncovered ‘death star’ creature with 50 limbs
February 17, 2021
Antarctica: Explorer discusses 'death star' sea creature
This week scientists announced they had stumbled upon life beneath the ice shelves of Antarctica, with one claiming the discovery “shouldn’t be there”. James Smith and Paul Anker from the British Antarctic Survey (BAS) drilled through the 900-metre-thick Filchner-Ronne ice shelf and dropped a camera down the hole in search of mud on the seabed. To their surprise, they accidentally found a boulder ringed by animals, with footage appearing to show 16 sponges, accompanied by 22 unidentified creatures.
While it could be a breakthrough for understanding life beneath the ice shelves, it is not the first time scientists have been shocked by the marine ecosystem in the frozen continent.
In 2018, Dr Jon Copley headed 2,000 metres below the waters surrounding the frozen desert in a Human-Occupied Vehicles (HOV) as part of the BBC’s Blue Planet series.
He said: “In a way, we’ve come to the ends of the Earth.”
Dr Copley explained that, a century ago, “people were pushing across the Antarctic on land and exploring it, but the deep ocean around Antarctica is just as blank to us now as it was 200 years ago”.
He added: “We have the technology to reach into the ocean depths. It’s such a mix of emotions — it is exciting, it is thrilling, and yet, it’s also slightly terrifying.
“You’re not quite sure what the outcome is going to be, but if you reach into the unknown, you are going to come back with something that you didn’t have before.
“No one has previously dived 2,000 metres in Antarctica. It’s a huge opportunity to be involved in this kind of exploration.”
Dr Copley explained what he saw as he reached the 1,000-metre mark.
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