From a suicide squid squad, to the eery findings deep under the Australian Great Barrier Reef, these are 10 STRANGE Deep Sea Photos Explained\r<br>\r<br>Under the Reef Lets head back to Australias Great Barrier Reef for this one … ually, were heading under the Reef. Researchers came away with some incredible pictures of deep sea creatures when high-tech cameras were able to examine environments some 1500 meters (nearly 5000 feet) below the surface. Scary-looking deep-sea anglerfish, swarms of crustaceans and deep sea jellyfish Atolla were among the many strange forms of ocean life found over the course of the 10 day research project. \r<br>\r<br>When this bizarre looking deep sea creature washed up on a New Zealand beach earlier in 2016, people didnt know what to make of it. The 13-foot animals disturbing, black dinner-plate-sized eyes and humped back gave a few tourists a shock … but some maintained their composure long enough to take a picture of the creature … or with the creature! While the sea creature may have unusual looks, its not exly an unusual creature. Its a bigeye thresher shark, known to hunt offshore, but are rarely observed close to beaches. The animals use their long tail to stun prey, but arent considered a threat to humans. There are three species of thresher shark, and all have been listed as ‘vulnerable to extinction since 2007. \r<br>\r<br>Acorn Worm -- A six-week research project in new set out to investigate marine life forms along the mid-Atlantic ridge … its a sub-polar front where warm waters from the south meets cold waters from the Gulf Stream. The exploration yielded a vast array of sea life and many potential new species. This Acorn Worm (aka Enteropneust Hemichordate anter-ope-nee-ist (heem-mah-chore-date) was photographed with a Remote Operated Vehicle, which located the creature using its adhesive tentacles to attach itself to the seafloor. The picture by David Shale almost looks like the worm could be a flower blossoming from its stem underwater. Acorn Worms are invertebrates that can survive at depths of 10,000 feet below the ocean surface.\r<br>\r<br>Deep Sea Anemone -- Does it look like a trap is waiting to be sprung … like if you get too close to the center of this thing, those tentacles will suddenly rise up and imprison you? Youre not far wrong. Say hello to the sea anemone … an invertebrate carnivore named after the terrestrial anemone flower, due to the perceived resemblance. They spend most of their time attached to rocks on the seafloor. Theyll also attach themselves to coral reefs waiting for fish to pass by. Those tentacles are ually filled with venom, which will paralyze prey the anemone ensnares. While most anemones are harmless to humans, certain highly toxic species are potentially lethal. Did you know that depending on the species, sea anemones can live more than 50 years?\r<br>\r<br>Big Red -- Bet you wouldnt guess this is a jellyfish. This relatively new species was discovered in the Pacific Ocean in 2003 … but was first spotted 10 years earlier. Only 23 members of this species have been found, with only a very small specimen acquired for study. The creatures are known to grow up to 30 inches in diameter and live at ocean depths of nearly 5000 feet. Because they live at such extreme depths, remote operated submarines were used to take pictures and high-resolution videos of the creatures. What really makes them distinct from other species of jellyfish is the lack of long tentacles … this creature has four-to-seven thick, fleshy arms it uses to capture food and eat. While scientists know the jellyfish is red all over, it could take awhile before researchers can uncover more information pertaining to the animals food, predators, reproduction and so on. Heres a fun f … researchers were originally going to call the animal “Big Ugly” … but it was renamed “Gran rojo” … Spanish for Big Red. \r<br>\r<br>Think this picture of a Beluga whale looks strange? He sounded even stranger. This is Noc, a whale that could ually mimic human speech. His voice was so human-like that it often fooled divers … and made researchers believe the marine mammal was trying to make cont with his human friends. Its thought that Noc began making human-like sounds after hearing divers using their communication equipment underwater. After hearing Noc, scientists at the National Marine Mammal Foundation in San Diego tried to pick up more voices by building a special underwater listening platform. While Noc could be heard on the mic, the other two older whales who lived with him didnt seem as eager to communicate. Sorry to say that after 30 years at the national Marine Mammal Foundation, Noc passed away in 2007. \r<br>\r<br>Subscribe to Epic Wildlife \r<br>
