By Colleen Nakhooda

Did you know that scientists have only uncovered 5% of the life in the ocean? Think about that. We know so many species and chemicals and sea creatures that live within the sea, but so many of the deepest holes and caverns are yet to be discovered. After going on winter break in Cabo, Mexico, I found myself weary of the ocean and its unknown. I ended up jumping into the water and snorkeling through a beautiful coral reef with hundreds of fish. The pictures above are of me during the excursion! After spring break and the thrill of swimming and snorkeling again, except in Turks and Caicos, I found myself wondering what other new life is being uncovered every day.

After just a few minutes of looking up stuff on the internet, I noticed a new creature that caught my attention. It is called the Razorback Jellied Eel. This extraordinary creature cannot only blend in almost completely with the water that it surrounds itself with, but it also can provide a shocking electricity, similar to an electric eel, that can reach up to a 200 feet distance, killing or severely harming anything in its path. It gets its “Razorback” title for its swift movements and extremely stealthy manner. 

What is even more fascinating, is that the eel was discovered through a run in with just a normal person exploring the sea. In the tik tok video, you can barely spot its outline, and after sending it to the National Marine Biologist Society the woman was more than surprised to find out that she had discovered a completely new species of eel—one more deadly than the manowar, and discovered through not scientific research but an everyday woman’s tik tok post.