Japanese television has released extremely rare footage of a giant squid swimming in the Sea of Japan.

According to a manager at the Mizuhashi Fisherina in Toyama prefecture, about 250 kilometers NW of Tokyo, a fisherman was the first to report the 3.7-meter (12.1 feet) giant squid swimming beneath fishing boats on December 24.

“It was the first time that we saw a live giant squid here, where water depth is only about 2.5 to 3 meters,” said Tatsuya Wakasugi, the marina manager.

Giant squids rarely come towards the surface, usually living between 600-900 meters deep. The first images of living giant squids in their natural habitat were released in 2004, and in July 2012, a live adult was filmed for the first time off the coast off Chichi-jima. It’s unclear why this individual swam to the surface.

“Whereas the ones caught in fishing nets are mostly dead and their colors have already turned white, the body of the giant squid swimming inside the marina was red,” he said.

A diver takes a closer look at a giant squid swimming inside a marina last week in Japan’s Toyama prefecture. Mizuhashi Fisherina

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