Down in the midnight zone, where light fades to nothing, a single breath becomes a long commitment. Sperm whales slip beneath the surface and vanish into cold pressure that would crush most animals.

For centuries, tales of sea monsters turned sailors’ fear of the unknown into legends of giant tentacled beasts. On March 9, 2025, a real-life encounter finally caught up with the myths when ...

Perhaps it was hiding from predators. Or trying to catch food. Then again, maybe it just wanted to be left alone. By Elizabeth Preston Like a scarf out of a magician’s sleeve, the squid appeared.

Architeuthis dux, better known as the giant squid, is likely the inspiration for the legendary kraken. The Granger Collection, New York There are few monsters left in the world. As our species has ...