Watch the Rare Giant Squid Rising from the Deep Near Japan (VIDEO)

First Posted: Dec 28, 2015 01:34 PM EST

It's a rare sight that very few have the opportunity to see. People atop a pier in Japan's Toyoma Bay were started and astonished when they saw a giant squid lurking close to the surface of the water on Christmas Eve.

Giant squid are rarely seen so close to the surface since they prefer to live in the deep ocean. These creatures, though, are massive. The largest ever found measured a staggering 59 feet and weighed nearly a ton. Giant squid along with their cousins, the colossal squid, have the largest eyes in the animal kingdom, measure about 10 inches in diameter. These eyes allow them to navigate the lightless depths that they call home.

You'd think that you'd think twice about jumping into the water with such a large and intimidating creature. In this case, though, a scuba diver thought nothing of it. Equipped with an underwater camera, a diver jumped into the water and recorded the animal as it hung around the bay area.

"My curiosity was way bigger than fear, so I jumped into the water and go close to it," said Akinobu Kimura, the diver that recorded the squid, in an interview with CNN. "This squid was not damaged and looked lively, spurting ink and trying to entangle its tentacles around me. I guided the squid toward to the ocean, several hundred meters from the area it was found in, and it disappeared into the deep sea."

Now, the new footage has been released to show the giant squid swimming near the surface of the water.

Want to see it for yourself? Check out the video below, courtesy of YouTube.