Researchers with E/V Nautilus, which is exploring the biology and geology of the oceans, run an ROV named Hercules operating at 1,962 feet below the surface of the Gulf of Mexico and generally spend hours staring into a vast nothingness.
Which would explain their excitement when an extremely large object crossed the ROV's field of vision this week.
"What the heck is that?" they're heard exclaiming on the video.
It turned out to be a massive sperm whale which circled several times and because encounters between sperm whales and ROV's are incredibly rare, inspired squeals of delight from the biologists.
Watch, AFTER THE JUMP…
