See the Mesmerizing Footage of a Rare Giant Phantom Jellyfish

Researchers are thrilled after catching footage of a Stygiomedusa gigantea, which is also known as a Giant Phantom Jellyfish. The rare creature was spotted off the coast of Argentina by the Schmidt Ocean Institute.

The team was there to observe biodiversity in the region, and wasn't even on the hunt for the jellyfish, which makes the sighting even that much more thrilling. Not only that, but according to the press release about the sighting, the researchers made other noteworthy discoveries.

Of course, the people are naturally more focused on the Giant Phantom Jellyfish sighting at the moment, since the mesmerizing marine animal is unlike anything most people will ever spot in the wild. Between the fluid way the animal moves through the ocean, to what we know about their sheer size (this one is described as being the size of a bus), many people can't look away.

Keep reading to get a glimpse of the creature for yourself and to learn more about the Giant Phantom Jellyfish.

On Feb. 3, 2026, the Schmidt Ocean Institute released a statement about the discovery. According to the statement, researchers had been traveling the length of Argentina as they observed the country's continental shelf.

It was there, approximately 3890-meters (or 2.42 miles) below the ocean's surface, that they spotted the deep-sea jellyfish. The researchers shared footage of the jelly swimming through the water, where they appeared to glide using the propulsion of four long arms.

The jelly was also joined by a few smaller fish, that seemed to enjoy swimming around the jelly as they cruised through the dark water.

These fish were lucky they didn't end up as lunch, since the online Animalia Encyclopedia says that the giant jellies typically feed on small fish and plankton. While the jellyfish in the video appeared to be a pale pink-ish color, the encyclopedia says that they are actually more of a red-orange color, but a lack of light in the ocean makes them look duller.

While the initial press release says that these marine animals can grow to be the size of a school bus, the encyclopedia says that the umbrella-shaped top of the jellyfish can grow to be as long as 3.3 feet, however the flexible tissue that makes up the bell of the jellyfish can actually stretch to four or five times its size when a jellyfish is stalking and eating their prey.

Additionally, the four arms of the jellyfish — which do not sting — can grow up to 33 feet long.

With a creature that large, you'd think that there would be multiple sightings over the years. However, the encyclopedia notes that there have only been about 110 sightings over the past 110 years. That being said, experts believe that these types of marine animals can be found throughout the world (except for the Arctic Ocean), hidden within the deep, dark parts of the water.