[narrator] Guadalupe Island,
Downloaded from YTS.MX
home to one of the largest aggregations
of great white sharks on the planet.
Official YIFY movies site: YTS.MX
Researchers believe these sharks gather here
to feed on the island's seal population.
[man speaking over radio]
[narrator] But recently,
incredible new evidence has surfaced
about a battle royale brewing beneath the waves.
[Tristan] Mexican scientists here have started to see evidence
of scarring on some of these big white sharks,
suggesting that they're having these titanic battles
with one of the most mysterious creatures on the planet...
the giant squid.
You just imagine what that would look like.
We've got the white shark in one corner.
Power, speed, slicing triangular teeth.
And in the other corner we've got massive, big,
and huge arms to engulf something.
Completely different tools to be
the most formidable predators in the deep.
[narrator] Now, a team of researchers are on a mission...
[Tristan] Kraken, here we come.
...to discover how these titans clash in the abyss...
[Lily] Look at that shark zoning in
right on the squid bait.
[Tristan] Amazing!
[narrator] ...and if a creature the size
of the mythical kraken
could beat a great white,
in the ultimate deep sea showdown.
[Lily] Shark coming in hot!
[chomps]
[Tristan] We've come to Guadalupe island
to explore a fascinating phenomenon.
There was a study that came out last year
that showed photographs
of white sharks,
with these suction marks on them,
suggesting that they are having these titanic battles
with squid in the depths.
It's hard to tell exactly which species of squid it is
that's making the scarrings,
but the patterns, the sizes of the suction cups,
means it could only be
three of the biggest squid that exist.
[narrator] There are three large species of squid
lurking around Guadalupe Island.
All of them are elusive
and favor the hostile environments
of the extreme deep.
First is the Humboldt,
which are also known as Red Devils,
because of their aggressive behavior.
Then, there's the extremely rare octopus squid,
which can clock in at a length of up to 7 ft.
But the most fearsome is the giant squid,
a true alien of the deep, that scientists theorize
can reach lengths of up to 60 ft. long.
But if legends are to be believed,
there might be something even bigger out there.
[Tristan] You hear of these legendary stories
of these sailors experiencing this gigantic cephalopod
with huge arms reaching, like, 40 ft. in length.
They call it the kraken.
[narrator] The myth of the kraken
dates back centuries,
but researchers know that most myths
have a kernel of truth in them.
And modern scientists theorize
that the kraken was probably inspired
by large squid species
like the ones great whites are encountering
around Guadalupe.
[Tristan] Today, we know
that squid can get up to huge sizes,
so if you imagine one of these animals,
coming up to the surface overnight,
it could easily be mistaken
for some sort of bizarre sea monster.
We know that there's these crazy battles
of giant squid and white sharks here
at Guadalupe Island.
And, what I'm hoping to do is gain a glimpse into that...
epic battle.
[bell dings]
[narrator] In one corner, the kraken,
the giant squid of Guadalupe.
He's got the reach advantage
and much of it comes from the eight tentacles.
Each of these fleshy whips,
is lined with hundreds of suckers,
and each of those suckers
is lined with thousands of tiny sharp teeth
that can tear and lacerate flesh.
But that's not all.
Their mouths are razor-sharp beaks
that can stab and cut their opponents.
[bell dings]
[narrator] In the other corner, the white shark.
Jaws... they can reach lengths of over 20 ft. long.
And when it comes to weight, they pack much more punch.
A mature female white shark
can weigh close to 5000 lbs.
Their primary weapon is a mouth lined
with dozens of huge razor-sharp triangular teeth
designed to decimate their prey.
[Tristan] When we put these two fearsome predators
against each other,
we've got completely different traits
that they can fight with,
and tools to be
the most formidable predators in the deep.
[narrator] Because these large squid species are so elusive,
it's extremely difficult
for behavioral ecologists like Tristan,
to observe how white sharks
behave around them in the wild.
[Tristan] Squid is some of the most mysterious
creatures on the planet,
particularly some of the bigger species
like the giant squid.
It's gonna be really tricky to get an insight
into the behavior of that species.
But the white shark,
by running these different experiments,
by putting different novel stimuli in the water,
hopefully we can learn more about the behavior
of the white sharks when they come across an adversary
like a squid.
However, even though we're gonna be observing
the behavior of the white sharks,
one goal that we'll have throughout the trip
is to try and get a unique encounter
with a big squid.
[whooshes]
[Tristan] I've brought my friend, Lily,
she has a background in neuroscience
and has worked with squid before.
[Lily] My name is Lily Rios-Brady,
and I have a master's in marine science.
My background, when it comes to squid,
we were looking to see if membrane proteins [chuckles]
synthesize locally within the axon.
Yeah, I know.
[both laughing]
[narrator] Even though the researchers
can't place a white shark
in an arena with a giant squid,
they can put them in one that simulates their presence
with scent.
[Tristan] So, it's a simple choice test
to see if these sharks show any kind of preference,
or different behavior towards squid versus tuna.
This frame right here,
I'll load it up with some tuna
and the frame behind me will have squid.
It's marked with black tape on the side,
so you know which one is which.
And if we have them either side,
-of a cage in the middle... -Yep.
...then I can see if they're cueing in
on the squid or tuna.
Let's do it.
[Tristan] By seeing how they react to the smell of squid,
we can learn more about how they might
approach the animal, how they might attack it.
[narrator] In addition to the big test rigs,
Lily deploys a live feed camera,
so she can keep an eye out
for sharks from the surface.
Tristan and cameraman Mark Romanov,
descend to 70 ft.
positioning themselves
right in the center of the big test arena.
[Tristan speaking]
[Lily speaking]
[Tristan speaking]
All right, Tristan, we got the live feed working.
I can see you and Mark down there with the BRUV.
[Tristan speaking]
[Lily speaking]
[Tristan speaking]
[exhaling]
[narrator] Moray eels are a carnivorous species.
And their bodies are covered with a mucous layer.
In some species, this mucus is toxic.
[Tristan speaking]
[water splashes]
Holy [bleep]! Holy [bleep]!
[Lily speaking]
[Lily] There's a huge shark up here.
It just came in for the bait.
[Tristan speaking]
[Lily speaking]
[Tristan speaking]
[narrator] The cautious behavior of the white sharks
could be a sign that they recognize the presence
of a deadly foe.
[Tristan speaking]
[Lily speaking]
[narrator] Tristan and Mark are suddenly surrounded...
by big and powerful, great white sharks.
[Tristan speaking]
[narrator] And they're growing more and more aggressive,
in the presence of the squid's scent.
[Tristan speaking]
[cage clangs]
[Tristan speaking]
[cage clangs]
[Tristan exclaiming]
[narrator] As the sharks circle the squid bait,
they become more and more aggressive.
[Tristan speaking]
[thuds]
[Tristan exclaiming]
[Lily speaking]
[Tristan speaking]
[narrator] This massive female displays battle scars,
similar to those that scientists believe
other great whites received from giant squid.
And along with other sharks in the area,
she's showing a clear interest
in the squid bait rig.
[Tristan speaking]
All right, sounds good. We'll pull you up right now.
-[man 1] We coming up? -[man 2] Yeah.
[Tristan] Whoo!
Tristan, how was it down there?
That looked crazy!
-Still kinda like... -[Lily chuckles]
I mean it's... it's a combination
of adrenaline, excitement,
and had really aggressive approaches on the cage.
There was bites and bumps...
I could see a little bit of that action on the live feed.
-All the action... -[Lily] Was on the right side.
...was on the squid side.
Certainly a great start.
-[Lily] Oh, definitely. -Whoo! Need to get a hot chocolate.
[Lily laughs]
[narrator] The first test is demonstrated.
The Guadalupe's white sharks
are more interested in the scent of squid,
than that of other bait.
[thuds]
[Tristan exclaiming]
[metal clanks]
[narrator] And they were also agitated
and aggressive in its presence.
This behavior might be explained
by their past experiences
battling these deadly foes in the deep.
And it's the team's first valuable insight
into what happens when these titans clash.
[Tristan] Um, where are we thinking the next one?
Up here? And another one there?
These are just gonna get chewed up.
[narrator] Lily and Tristan prepare
for their next behavioral experiment,
and this one is all about sight.
[Tristan] We know the squid can produce light themselves.
They can bio-luminesce.
But do the white sharks use that to hunt them?
So, we have a camera,
with essentially these little lights
that mimic the bioluminescence.
And the idea is to see
whether white sharks react to those lights.
[seagulls squawking]
I'm not really sure what we should call it.
-What do you think? -Um...
-The squid Christmas tree? -The...
The Squidmas.
-Squidmas. Okay. Right. -[chuckles]
[narrator] Squid use bioluminescence
for a variety of reasons,
from communication to confusing predators.
But Tristan and Lily want to find out
if it might also make them a target for white sharks.
Good luck.
[narrator] In 2014, a lure like this
was used to capture this incredible footage
of a giant squid
in the depths of the Gulf of Mexico.
While the deep-drop camera records in the abyss,
Lily and Tristan will dive in a surface cage,
while the boat crew deploys floating LED lures
as additional attractants for white sharks.
This will also be Lily's first time in the water
with these incredible predators.
I've never dove with white sharks.
So, I'm really excited to see
more of them and how they behave.
[Tristan speaking]
[Lily speaking]
[Tristan speaking]
[narrator] Ctenophora,
more commonly known as comb jellyfish,
are bioluminescent sea creatures
that both emit and detect light.
[Lily speaking]
[Tristan speaking]
[Lily exclaiming]
[Tristan exclaims]
[Lily speaking]
[Tristan speaking]
[Lily speaking]
[Tristan speaking]
[Tristan exclaiming]
[narrator] The seal's agility and speed allows it
to narrowly escape the jaws of these great whites.
With it fleeing the area,
the predator's attention turns to something else.
[Lily speaking]
[Tristan speaking]
[narrator] The great white has displayed interest
not only in the LED lights,
but in the crew's underwater cameras as well.
This could be a result of its ampullae of Lorenzini.
Small pores on its nose that can detect electricity,
just like the bioelectricity generated by bioluminescents.
[Tristan speaking]
[narrator] The drop camera has been on the bottom
at 300 ft., recording for two hours.
[Tristan speaking]
[Lily speaking]
[Tristan speaking]
[narrator] While testing how great whites react
to light that mimics squid bioluminescence...
[Tristan speaking]
[narrator] ...the researchers witness something incredible.
[Tristan speaking]
[narrator] Several great whites
emerge from the depths,
in pursuit of their deep-drop LED lure.
[Tristan speaking]
[Lily speaking]
[Lily] Whoo-hoo!
[Tristan speaking]
[Lily speaking]
[narrator] The assault on the deep-drop camera
is further evidence,
that Guadalupe white sharks hunt squid in the deep,
and that they're attracted to their bioluminescence.
-[Tristan] Wow! That was cool. -[Lily chuckling] Whoa!
When the drop cam came up
-you see it pursuing it, as well. -Yeah.
Makes me think what the hell was going on down deep.
[narrator] Analysis of the deep drop camera
reveals a huge great white emerging from the abyss
to investigate the LED lure
shortly before the crew brought it to the surface.
At this depth, there's very little light
and giant squid have a clear advantage
when it comes to seeing in the dark.
And up to ten inches in diameter,
they have the largest eye in the animal kingdom.
Their huge light-gathering pupils
allow them to see in the dark,
with enough resolution to detect predators
from up to 400 feet away.
The giant squid's heightened visual sense
makes it challenging
to get close enough for an attack.
But even if a great white
manages to reach striking distance,
the cephalopods have another
amazing defensive measure,
jet propulsion.
[Tristan] Imagine a white shark
trying to hunt a squid.
They got this jet propulsion,
they can move through the water really quickly,
so the sharks need as much intelligence
as they do power and brute force.
[narrator] Squid achieve these amazing bursts of speed
by filling their mantle with water,
and then expelling it through a siphon-like tube
that gets narrower towards the end.
[whooshes]
It's an incredible adaptation,
but it allows them to become a very difficult animal
to then predate upon.
[narrator] To see how the sharks
might overcome a squid's jet power,
the team sets up an experiment with throw-baits.
We have a bait that's on a float,
manned by someone who can move it.
And so, every time they go for the bait,
someone's moving it out of the way.
[narrator] This test will allow Tristan and Lily,
to observe how quickly great whites
change their tactics on the fly
to make a successful attack on fast-moving prey.
[Tristan] Lily and I are gonna spend time in a cage
to see how these animals are attacking a bait
and how they're learning from experience.
[Lily] All right, let's go.
[Tristan speaking]
[Lily speaking]
[Tristan speaking]
[narrator] The shark makes a slow deliberate approach
to the tuna, which doesn't work.
[Tristan speaking]
[Lily speaking]
[Tristan speaking]
[narrator] On its second attempt,
the shark tries something new,
putting on a sudden burst of speed,
as it gets close to its target.
But it's still not enough.
[Tristan speaking]
[narrator] Like most wild predators,
great whites conserve energy whenever possible.
But to catch this bait, it's becoming clear
that it needs to take advantage
of its incredible speed.
[Tristan speaking]
[narrator] On the third try,
the shark makes a faster and more persistent approach
snapping several times at the bait.
[Tristan speaking]
[narrator] But against a highly evolved
and intelligent target like giant squid,
strategy is just as important as power and speed.
[Tristan speaking]
[narrator] Having failed at obtaining the bait
with horizontal approaches,
this great white adopts a new strategy
by launching a fast vertical attack from below,
out of the crew's line of sight.
It snatches the bait with ease.
[Tristan speaking]
[narrator] This aggressive male shark shows clearly,
the intelligence and the adaptability he'll need
to hunt giant squid in the deep.
[Tristan speaking]
[narrator] To overcome a squid's
sudden burst of speed from jet propulsion,
it makes sense that the great whites
would alter their strategy to launch ambush attacks
so they can catch the squid off-guard.
[Lily speaking]
[Tristan speaking]
[narrator] A massive battle-hardened female
appears in the area.
[Lily speaking]
[narrator] She's got the size to take on a giant squid,
but she's not alone.
[Tristan speaking]
[Lily speaking]
[Tristan speaking]
[Tristan] Whoo!
That was an amazing dive.
That was awesome.
And that one right in front of the cage,
when it came directly vertical...
-I didn't even see it. And you... -Yeah.
She was absolutely amazing.
These sharks are learning on the job.
You know, they're learning when the environment,
the stimuli are changing,
and responding to it to try and get that food.
[narrator] Pursuing giant squid
isn't like hunting seals in daylight at the surface.
They live in the darkness of the twilight zone.
A deadly expanse where danger lurks everywhere.
To navigate this extreme environment,
with their multiple limbs,
bioluminescent organs and huge eyes,
they possess one of the most complex neural networks
in the animal kingdom.
With all that, giant squid
are a challenge for white sharks.
Now, the team prepares for a night dive
in the hopes of seeing an interaction
between squid and white sharks.
[Tristan] So far, this has been a great expedition.
All we need now, is a monster squid.
[narrator] Night is when squid rise from the deep
to the surface,
and it's the most likely time
that they might cross paths with a white shark.
[indistinct chatter]
It's night time. We're here at the drop-off.
I've no idea what's gonna come up,
so we'll see what happens.
All right, best of luck for some squid.
Kraken, here we come.
[water splashes]
Tristan! Tristan! Do you copy?
[Tristan speaking over radio]
All right, so Tristan is now descending about 50 ft.
Animals at this depth cannot see red lights.
So, he has a red light on the cage,
and our drop camera, as well.
That makes him seem invisible to the other animals.
They will not be able to see it
and hopefully we'll be able to see both of them at once
and maybe even a predation event.
[Tristan speaking]
[bubbling]
[narrator] A green sea turtle.
Their diet is mostly sea grass,
but they're known to feed on bioluminescent species
like jellyfish too.
[Tristan speaking]
[Lily] Oh, I see a squid.
Coming in right now to the live cam. Wow!
Tristan, we just had some squid swim by the lure.
[Tristan speaking]
[narrator] A Humboldt squid, about five feet in length,
appears near the LED lure.
[Tristan speaking]
[Lily] Oh, my God! Tristan, I think I see a white shark
right now on the live feed.
[Tristan exclaiming]
[water warbling]
[Tristan speaking]
[Lily speaking]
[Tristan speaking]
[Lily speaking]
[Tristan speaking]
[narrator] The team's witnessed something incredible.
[Tristan speaking]
[narrator] Just moments after spotting
the huge Humboldt squid,
a giant great white surfaced from the deep
and attacked their LED lure.
[Tristan speaking]
[narrator] Everything the team's witnessed
on the night dive is further proof
that deadly clashes between great whites
and large squid species
occur in the dark around Guadalupe.
[Tristan speaking]
We're pulling you up right now.
[clanking]
[Tristan] This has been a great expedition.
We had this big shark pursuing the Humboldt squid.
I'm guessing the scent,
the visual stimuli, all kind of together
attracted that white shark into it.
Although this was just one observation,
we did see that the white shark,
like it does with the other prey items,
it was coming from underneath.
You just imagine the battle
between a big white shark and a squid.
What that would look like
down at 500 meters under the water.
[narrator] Even though it's nearly impossible
to witness a great white and giant squid
battling in the depths,
the researchers have handed their observations over
to a team of CGI artists,
who are using the research from the expedition
to imagine what the battle would look like.
Under a full moon, deep below the surface,
a giant squid emerges from the abyss.
The real life kraken searches for a midnight snack.
But it's not the only nocturnal predator on the prowl.
A large great white has picked up
the unmistakable scent of his deadly foe.
The squid spots the great white
with its enormous eye,
and flashes a warning for it to stay away.
But the bio-electricity from its light display
triggers the shark's ampullae of Lorenzini,
and like a heat-seeking missile,
the great white locks onto its target.
[whooshes]
[narrator] The giant squid uses its jet propulsion
to narrowly escape the shark's first strike.
-[whooshes] -The shark charges back in,
and the squid's jet has run out of fuel.
And the two giants engage in a deadly embrace.
[cracking]
[crunching]
[chomps]
[narrator] The injured fighters disengage.
[water warbling]
[narrator] But the shark's tasted blood,
and isn't about to give up on this potential feast.
[chomping]
[narrator] This clash of the titans is over.
And the white shark digs into its hard-earned meal
in the deep.
[Tristan] If I was announcing
a fight between the giant squid,
the white shark,
really, you've got the white shark in one corner,
power, speed, precision,
slicing triangular teeth.
And, in the other corner we've got guile, mimicry,
suction cups with razor teeth,
that massive beak,
and huge arms to engulf something.
Well, I think these are both
the most formidable predators on the planet.