For the very first time ever, a colossal squid (Mesonychoteuthis hamiltoni) has been caught on camera in its natural habitat, and it’s a baby!

The Schmidt Ocean Institute’s research vessel, SuBastian, filmed the tiny titan about 2,000 feet beneath the waves near the remote South Sandwich Islands. While it’s just a foot long now, this little guy could one day grow up to 23 feet long and weigh over 1,000 pounds.

Until now, scientists only knew of colossal squids from the remains found in the bellies of whales and seabirds. But on March 9, during a flagship expedition from the Nippon Foundation-Nekton Ocean Census, we finally got a live look at the elusive Mesonychoteuthis hamiltoni—in the wild!

This is a huge leap forward in deep-sea exploration. Now all we need is a glimpse of a fully grown adult… and maybe a kaiju-sized measuring tape.

Watch the historic footage below: