YouTube | Aquatilis

Dazzling Sea Angel Spotted By Diver In Fascinating Video

Updated September 7, 2021

A scientist's work is never done.

Although we've been on this planet for thousands of years, there's still no telling how many of its mysteries we have yet to unlock. Yet while we may suddenly discover something nobody has seen before, the truly maddening mysteries are the ones staring us right in the face.

Not only is it possible for the world's greatest minds to observe something and not know how it works, but that something can shine brightly like a big neon sign that says "Ha ha, I exist and you can't figure me out."

But what makes the minds I'm referring to so great is that when they're confronted by a mysterious sight, they become excited and driven to unravel its mysteries. And it's clear that one marine biologist was excited to come across what he captured in the full video.

This colorful little fellow is known as a sea angel.

Facebook | Alexander Semenov

As marine biologist Alexander Semenov wrote on Facebook, it's a cold-water pteropod mollusk that's most likely to be found in arctic seas.

Although it's a heavily-studied creature, there's so much about its life cycle that remains a mystery.

In his post, however, Semenov shared what scientists do know thus far.

YouTube | Aquatilis

They start life out at about one to three millimetres long, but fluctuate between three to five centimetres when they reach adulthood.

As Semenov wrote, about 500 sea angels can be born within a few weeks and they grow thanks to a diet of sea butterflies.

They've also been known to survive without food for six months by reducing their size and that could be very important for a special reason.

YouTube | Aquatilis

Namely, that nobody knows exactly where they go once the waters warm up to about about 37 degrees Fahrenheit.

As Semenov put it, "At some point they suddenly appear under an ice cap covering the sea."

This little re-appearing act happens every February, but while there's a big gap in our knowledge about its life cycle, one thing is clear.

Facebook | Alexander Semenov

Unfortunately, that clear fact about the creature is that it's under a significant threat.

As National Geographic reported, rising ocean acidity is leading to a decrease in sea butterflies. And since that is all the sea angel eats, we're already seeing them struggle to feed themselves.

It may be able to go for six months without food, but it has to eat at some point.

When a creature is so mysterious, it makes it all the more special when someone can capture it in action.

And Semenov has done exactly that through an underwater exploration project he founded called Aquatilis and we can see his cool and seemingly unreal results here.

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