By Tim Binnall
A NOAA research vessel operating off the coast of New England spotted a strange scene that looked like a cartoon come to life in the form of a sizeable sponge and a small pink starfish sitting alongside each other in a manner resembling iconic characters SpongeBob Squarepants and his pal Patrick. The amusing moment was reportedly filmed during an expedition of the Okeanos Explorer ship studying a location known as the Retriever Seamount. While diving to a depth of approximately 6,200 feet, an underwater vehicle filmed the funny pair of creatures and a picture of the duo subsequently went viral after marine biologist Christopher Mah shared it on Twitter.
Noting that he tries to avoid such references, the scientist admitted that he couldn't help but marvel at the "real life SpongeBob and Patrick" seen by the vessel. However, unlike their cartoon counterparts, who are the best of friends, Mah revealed that the two creatures spotted on the ocean floor likely had a far different relationship. "In all likelihood," he explained, "the reason that starfish is right next to that sponge is because that sponge is just about to be devoured, at least in part." Fortunately, it would appear that the horrifying moment when the proverbial Patrick doppelganger feasted on the SpongeBob lookalike was not captured on film and, thus, children everywhere were spared seeing what might have been a nightmarish moment.