SpongeBob and Patrick lookalikes seen in old viral video in the Atlantic with ONE MAJOR distinction
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "SpongeBob and Patrick lookalikes seen in old viral video in the Atlantic with ONE MAJOR distinction")
Yellow glass sponge belongs to the genus Hertwigia, and the pink sea star is a Chondraster. Photograph: (NOAA/Christopher Mah)
NOAA Ocean Exploration captured a yellow sponge and a pink sea star in 2021 in the Atlantic Ocean during an exploration mission. The real-life creatures remind one of famous cartoon characters SpongeBob and Patrick. However, there is one major twist.
A 2021 underwater footage captured by NOAA Ocean Exploration is going viral for the two creatures shown in it. Strangely, scientists came across a yellow sponge like marine animal and a pink sea star, bearing striking resemblance to famous cartoon characters Sponge Bob SquarePants and his friend Patrick. The bright yellow glass sponge belongs to the genus Hertwigia, while the pink sea star is from the genus Chondraster.
The discovery was made five years ago on the underwater mountain Retriever Seamount in the Atlantic Ocean at a depth of 6,200 feet. The creatures were spotted during a live scanning of the region using a remotely operated underwater vehicle. Marine biologist Christopher Mah was on the other end, studying the seafloor when he stumbled upon the yellow and pink sea animals strangely right next to each other.
"I normally avoid these refs... but WOW. REAL LIFE SpongeBob and Patrick!" Mah, affiliated with the NOAA, wrote next to the video in his X post at the time.
A different reality - Patrick would have eaten SpongeBob
While you might think they are like SpongeBob and Patrick in every way, there is actually a stark distinction. The sea star is most probably not trying to build a friendship with the sponge, and might in fact be figuring out a way to eat it. Scientists said that many species in the genus Chondraster feed on sponges. This is most probably what is unfolding on the seafloor as well.
Reacting to the video, users could not contain their excitement at seeing the real-like duo, albeit in a different social scenario - of prey and predator. A user wrote, "Plot twist: “Patrick” eats “Spongbob"." Another added, "So it was a documentary this whole time."
One user compared reality and fiction. "Pop culture meets deep-sea abyssal reality. A bright yellow Hertwigia glass sponge right next to a pink Chondraster sea star at 6,200 feet is wild serendipity," the post read, adding, "though in true benthic ecology fashion, that real-life "Patrick" is an apex predator likely looking at SpongeBob."
Others also questioned whether the video could be artificially generated. However, the video is real and the original one was shared in 2021, a time when AI wasn't as big as today.
