Swordfish are some of the ocean’s most ferocious predators, and a recent Instagram video is proof. The footage, filmed on October 27, shows a giant broadbill swordfish ascending from the depths to attack a squid trailing two large sinkers on the end of an angler’s line. See it for yourself below:
“This swordfish followed up our squid from nearly 2000ft and attacked it!,” wrote avid saltwater angler Joshua Jorgenson, who shared the video on his @blacktiph Instagram page. Jorgenson was deep-sea fishing in Jordan when he captured the footage.
The video start with the swordfish making a beeline toward Jorgenson’s bait at breakneck speed. When it catches up to the squid, it veers left, stabbing and thrashing it before darting out of the frame. The nearly 10-second clip is a prime example of how swordfish—which can weigh more than 1,000 pounds—use their powerful bills to impale unsuspecting prey.
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According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), swordfish are some of the fastest fish in the sea. “Their streamlined body allows them to swim at high speeds, up to 50 mph,” NOAA writes on its website. “Swordfish feed on a variety of fish and invertebrates such as squid [and] capture prey by slashing their bill back and forth, stunning or injuring prey in the process.”
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