There was no pineapple, but an undersea exploration vehicle captured some images of what appear to be a lifelike SpongeBob SquarePants and friend Patrick Star nearby.
Researcher Christopher Mah was watching the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration video feed from the Okeanos Explorer when he noticed the resemblance of the animated characters to a couple of sea creatures.
“They’re just a dead ringer for the cartoon characters,” Mah told NPR.
*laugh* I normally avoid these refs..but WOW. REAL LIFE Sponge bob and Patrick! #Okeanos Retreiver seamount 1885 m pic.twitter.com/fffKNKMFjP
— Christopher Mah (@echinoblog) July 27, 2021
The Okeanos Explorer is on an underwater expedition mapping the floor of the Atlantic Ocean about 200 miles off the U.S. coast.
Mah said the real reason the sponge and starfish, scientific names Hertwigia and Chondraster, were in proximity is likely more macabre than the friendship their cartoon doppelgängers share.
“In all likelihood, the reason that starfish is right next to that sponge is because that sponge is just about to be devoured, at least in part,” Mah told NPR.
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