This is pretty bad-ass. Scientists have managed to snap the very first pictures of a living giant squid in its natural habitat (thanks to National Geographic for the story):

The animal—which measures roughly 25 feet (8 meters) long—was photographed 2,950 feet (900 meters) beneath the North Pacific Ocean. Japanese scientists attracted the squid toward cameras attached to a baited fishing line.

They also, um, broke it:

The scientists say they snapped more than 500 images of the massive cephalopod before it broke free after snagging itself on a hook. They also recovered one of the giant squid’s two longest tentacles, which severed during its struggle.

Go straight to the images here!