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Miami Herald

Do moray eels snuggle? See ‘romantic evening' captured in Pacific seafloor video

Moray eels have a reputation for being vicious, including a vice-like bite, but a romantic side of the predators has been recorded on the Pacific seafloor by the Ocean Exploration Trust. The rom-com scene played out about 300 feet deep near the Northern Mariana Islands, as the eels employed whac-a-mole tactics for a remotely operated camera from the Exploration Vessel Nautilus. Holes in a rock formation allowed the pair to continuously pop their heads in and out of different spots, including moments when they were nose-to-nose like snuggling lovers. 'Do you think they touch tails like they're holding hands,' one researcher is heard asking in the video shared May 25 on social media. 'Are we, like, interrupting a moment? Is this like a romantic evening? ... This is so cute.' 'Cute' is a word rarely applied to moray eels, which are known to continually expose their mouth and teeth as part of the breathing process, according to Sea World. It's not clear if the two eels were a couple or just acquaintances. The species is known to share space as 'roommates' and it is not uncommon for them to 'hunt cooperatively,' the trust said. Morays are also known to have a 'wide color variation,' which explains why one eel was bright yellow and the other was grayish, the trust said. 'Morays have large mouths and powerful jaws with a vice-like grip,' Sea World reports. 'Most species have sharp, thin teeth that protrude from the upper and lower jaws, and sometimes from the roof of the mouth. The teeth point backwards to prevent slippery prey from escaping.' They have a 'nasty reputation' among divers, who can make the mistake of gripping rocky outcrops that serve as home for eels, experts say. 'Such an action may frighten a moray eel to lash out and bite in self-defense,' Sea World says. The two eels were filmed as the team explored the summit of the Ahyi Seamount, an active volcano that last erupted in 2023, the U.S. Geological Survey reports. The seamount was visited as part of the five-month 2025 Nautilus Expedition Season, which is exploring 'unknown regions' in the western Pacific, including the Mariana Trench Marine National Monument.