- [Narrator] Have you ever had a nightmare where you're stranded in
the middle of the ocean, unable to see the bottom below? Many people have, but
what terrors really await in that eerie, dark,
expanse, that reaches depths of almost 7 miles at its deepest? From hideous creatures
that boggle the mind, to sculptures shrouded in mystery, let's take a look at some of
the most terrifying things found in the deep sea. (upbeat music) Hatchetfish. If you want to know what
life around a mile below the waves is like, just take
a look at the narrow face of the Deep-Sea Hatchetfish. The gaping mouth, bulging
eyes and bizarrely-thin body of this tortured looking
fish have all evolved to adjust to the pitch-black depths. Those globular eyes are angled upwards, allowing it to search out
food falling from above, and their disproportionately large size helps capture any minimal light in its incredibly dark habitat. Hatchetfish certainly need
these kinds of advantages, considering they make their
homes as deep as 4,500 feet below the surface, where
light is almost non-existent. Any prey unlucky enough to be
spotted by those bulbous eyes is then snapped up in
that grotesque underbite. Even though they look monstrous, Hatchetfish only measure
about 6 inches in length, so, if it's any comfort,
one could fit in between the tip of you thumb and index finger. That said, it could still
certainly take a painful nibble with its razor-sharp teeth. Whilst its size occasionally
makes it easy prey, it does have a remarkable
ability for avoiding predators. The slender shape and
reflective scales of its body are offset by
counter-illumination camouflage, a type of bioluminescent glow that mimics the color
and light around them. It reduces the visibility of
the hatchetfish's silhouette, effectively rendering them invisible to any hungry eyes looking up from below. But with a face like that, I kinda wish they were
invisible to all eyes. Sea Spider. Arachnophobes, get
ready to never step foot in the ocean again. This is the Sea Spider. Despite its name and
eight-legged appearance, it's not actually an arachnid. It belongs to a group of
arthropods called pycnogonids. Some pycnogonid specimens are able to grow up to 12 spindly, nightmare-fuelling legs, while others can develop leg
spans of almost 2.3 feet long. But as hideously unsettling
as their shambling, long-legged frames already
are, the way they devour their prey will really send
shivers down your spine. Using a long proboscis, an
appendage that's somewhat like a mouth, nose and
arm all blended together the sea spider sucks its
prey dry from the inside out! Sea spiders can live in crushing
depths up to 16,000 feet or 3 miles deep, where
pressures can reach as much as an astounding 3 tons-per-square-inch. Understandably, you might
wonder how the sea spider can survive under all that pressure. The answer is even creepier
than those spindly legs. For starters, like most
deep-sea creatures, sea spiders have evolved
bodies that are free from any excess cavities that
might collapse under pressure. They also absorb oxygen
directly through their legs, which eliminates the
need for lungs like ours. But weirdest of all, these
creepy arthropods pump blood and fluids round their
body using contractions in their guts, rather than their hearts. Their circulation process
extends to their internal organs which are stretched and pulled throughout their long
legs to suit their needs. A series of specific muscle movements keep the whole grotesque show pumping, for your viewing pleasure. Great! I never wanted
to sleep again anyway. Deep Sea Feast. As cute as some octopi may
seem, it's easy to forget that they're actually savage carnivores with powerful beaks capable
of cracking through bones. But nothing shows that terrifying trait off better than this footage
of a consortium of octopi feasting on the long-dead,
skeletal remains of a baleen whale. And they're not alone! More than 4,000 feet under
California's idyllic waves, an exploratory dive using
remote operated vehicles revealed the remains of
this 16 foot whale carcass. In an event known as a 'whale fall', the whale's body drifted to
the seafloor after its death, providing an abundance of food
for the critters of depths. The lure of decaying meat
attracted a host of scavengers like Eel Pouts, which strip
the skeleton of its blubber, alongside various types of shark. That's not to mention that
mysterious brown fuzz, which is actually a gathering of appropriately-named Bone-Eating Worms, which suck the fat from the whale's bones! This is one meal you definitely
don't want to interrupt. I'll have my blubber to go, thanks. Deep Sea Chimera. More commonly known as the Ghost Shark, you can easily see that
there's something spooky going on with the deep-sea Chimaera. Even though different species
of this dead-eyed fish have been known to grow
almost 6 feet long, very little is actually known about them. They're incredibly rare
and hard to observe in their natural habitat
because they live so deep in the sea, between 1
and 1.3 miles underwater. While the markings on its head give it a Frankenstein's monster
kind of appearance, the real nightmare fuel
can be found in its mouth! Located just below the snout and eyes, this terrifying face-within-a-face is made up of the shark's
two water-breathing nostrils and a weirdly straight set of teeth. Researchers believe this
row of teeth has developed to make feeding on molluscs, crabs, and other sea-floor dwelling
invertebrates much easier, allowing for gripping
and crushing with ease. Whatever its function may be, that mouth and heck, the ghost shark in general, is pure nightmare fuel. Does the deep-sea Chimaera freak you out as much as it does me? Let
me know in the comments! Threadfin Snailfish. You'd be forgiven for
thinking that this thing is a demon tadpole, or
that someone stuck a tail on a sorcerer's sea-dwelling pet skull. But in reality, this eerie creature is a Threadfin Snailfish. Measuring around 6 inches in length, it can survive at depths
of almost 10,000ft, making it one of the most resilient little fishies in the world. The large pores perforating
most of its face may look like the aftermath
of a bad acne breakout, but they're actually known
as "sensory hollows". These help the fish detect
movement and pressure changes in its deep and dark environment. Those razor-like fins
lining the top and bottom of its body enable it to
wind smoothly and silently through the dark without
alerting nearby predators. While many individuals of
the species are grey or black in color, others have
translucent white skin, meaning their muscles and internal organs are clearly visible. But if you ask me, I think
we've already seen enough of this terrifying fish for one day! Stonefish. There are several things you might expect to find walking along the sea floor, like crabs and even octopi,
but what about fish? Specifically, this
terrifying-looking Stonefish. Using crab-like appendages
beneath its body, this hefty fish, that can
measure up to 15 inches in length claws its way along the ocean
floor in search of prey. The rough looking exterior of its body blends expertly into patches
of coral and rocky reefs, making it a perfect camouflage
for ambushing its next meal. With a huge jaw and powerful mouth, they can suck in nearby
prey and swallow them whole! But that's not the worst of it. These petrifying predators
are also the world's most venomous fish, with
the venom in their spines being able to kill an adult
human in less than an hour. I almost feel sorry for the predator that tries to mess with
this prickly horror! If you ask me, this clip is the strongest, and only, argument in
favor of nuking the oceans. Atlantic Wolffish. Is it a wolf? Is it a fish? Or is it a straight up nightmare? Characterized by its large, jagged fangs, the Atlantic Wolfish has
one of the most terrifying sets of teeth in the deep blue sea. These toothy terrors
can reach 5 ft in length and can be found lurking in crevices along the rocky sea floor as deep as
1600 feet below the surface. In the colder waters of
the North Atlantic Ocean, the wolffish uses those powerful
teeth to hunt other fish and molluscs in their vicinity. Once snared in the protruding front teeth, flesh is punctured, shells are crushed, and escape becomes almost impossible. Even more disturbing is the
fact that the wolffish's throat is also lined with sharp teeth, to finish off and grind up any
stragglers on the way down. And when the going gets tough, studies have shown that
they'll even resort to cannibalism of their own species! Whilst wolffish aren't
typically considered dangerous to humans, they have been known to snap their teeth to defend themselves. So, in case you were
considering poking your fingers near the unwelcoming mouth
of this fanged cannibal, probably best not to. Sea Lampreys. While a mouth with this many
teeth may look like it belongs to a demon shark from the 8th dimension, the reality isn't much more comforting! This is the mouth of a Sea Lamprey, a parasitic, eel-like fish found in waters ranging from the Atlantic
Ocean to the Black Sea. Lampreys can reach lengths
of up to 40 inches, and each comes with a jawless
and perfectly rounded mouth, which can act as a spiky suction cup. Combined with the circular
rows upon rows of horned teeth, they use this suction cup-like
mouth to latch onto larger animals and feed off them
by ingesting their blood. Yep, just like a deep-sea vampire! But they didn't become
this monstrous overnight, these nope-ropes have been
around for over 340 million years and have survived at least
4 major extinction events. Their longevity as a species
may in part be thanks to their ability to
survive at depths ranging from shoreline shallows to over
13,000 ft below the surface! Whilst lamprey typically
don't pose much of a threat to humans beyond a painful
pinch while they figure out that you're not food, it's
another story for their prey. Secreting an enzyme that
stops blood from clotting, they're known to kill smaller fish by slowly draining them of their insides. While their usual victims
are a little smaller, lamprey have been known to feed on whales. And with bravery like that,
I'm not completely convinced they wouldn't try their
luck with the juicy leg of a swimmer, so keep your eyes peeled! Magnapinna Squid. When researchers at an oil
rig in the Gulf of Mexico sent an underwater camera
into the ocean depths in 2007, they didn't expect to stumble
across this ominous monster! Found drifting almost 1.5
miles beneath the waves, this ghostly beast is in
fact the Magnapinna Squid. It's also known as the Bigfin squid thanks to the disproportionately
large wing-like fins that make up almost 90%
of its body's mantle. But it's those terrifyingly long tentacles that steal the show. Ranging from 23 to 30 ft
long, and with bizarre elbow-like right-angle bends,
their tentacles make them stand out as a truly
unique, alien-looking form in the ocean depths. At about the same length
as an American school bus its tentacles are, unsurprisingly, among the longest of all squid species. It's theorized that the
purpose of these trailing arms is to catch fish and detect
prey moving along the ocean floor, although this has not
yet been caught on camera. That said, I don't envy
whoever is the first to capture footage of this creature
gorging itself on a meal! Watching it glide along,
the creature certainly walks a fine line between creepy and beautiful. But there's no doubt
that I'd rather watch it from behind a screen than in person. Underwater Rescue. Back in 2016, a photo began
circulating on the internet supposedly showing one
of the most disturbing deep-sea snapshots of all time. In the image, far below the
waves, a scuba diver can be seen pulling the body of a man
out of sunken cockpit. To the shock of viewers,
it seemed the body had been there for so long
that its hands had rotted away! But hold off on that
heart attack for a minute because this image isn't
exactly what it seems. A little digging online reveals
that this supposed corpse is actually just a dummy used
by an underwater rescue unit. Mannequins and sunken planes
like this are often used to help train rescue divers in bodies of water all over the world. Similar scenes can be observed
in this footage of a dive from Portage Quarry, Ohio. Covered in all manner of sea
life, the submerged dummy certainly takes on a
creepy corpse-like quality. While the original image
is certainly a lot creepier when left unexplained, there's no denying, fish-bitten mannequins are the last thing you want to discover when
exploring submerged sites! Frilled Shark. Even though the Deep-Sea
Frilled Shark is named after the strangely fluffy
appearance of its gills, they're hardly the most terrifying feature of this prehistoric remnant. Having evolved over 95 million years, the 300 trident shaped
teeth housed within 25 rows give this abyssal shark one of the most disturbing smiles in the entire ocean. Frilled sharks have been
observed dwelling as deep as almost a mile below
the water's surface, and in this dark environment they can grow upwards of 6.5 feet long. As it winds through the sea, it's believed to hunt by
tracking along the seabed, using its highly-adapted senses to detect the slightest movements,
helping it find prey. Then, when it does, it lunges
like a snake, hooking prey in its teeth and making
escape nearly impossible. This enables it to swallow
prey up to half its size whole, including squid, fish,
and other smaller sharks! Speaking of deep-dwelling
sharks, the Frilled Shark shares its specialized hunting
adaptation of inwardly-hooked teeth with its cousin, the
equally-terrifying Goblin Shark. This is yet another deep-sea
terror, but with the unique ability to launch its jaws
forward to catch its prey. So, between the extending
mouth of the Goblin Shark and the 300 teeth of the Frilled Shark, which do you think is more disturbing? Let me know in the comments! Sunken Xenomorph. If you ever decide to go scuba
diving in Russia's Black Sea off the coast of Anapa, you could be in for a terrifying encounter,
at least, at first. Back in 2017, sculptures of
the world-famous Xenomorphs from the "Alien" movie franchise were sunk by Anapa divers in an effort to draw more diving enthusiasts to the area. And after several
additional creepy sculptures were submerged, they were
soon overcome with sea life, making the seafloor of the Anapa coast look like a nightmare come to life. The eerie exhibition is
complete with the franchise's cryocapsules and even
the eggs of the parasitic face-huggers from Ridley
Scott's sci-fi masterpiece. Turns out space isn't the only place where no-one can hear you scream, so I think I'll be staying
on dry land for now. What's the scariest thing you've ever encountered in the ocean? Let me know in the comments
below, and thanks for watching!
