The underwater world is just as mesmerizing and insanely beautiful as the world above it. We all love spending our vacations on beaches or on cruises discovering scenic routes. Sea diving is now gaining popularity amongst adventurous people due to the allure of discovering the hidden depths of the sea. But, have you ever wondered how deep the seas and oceans can be and how creatures survive in the deepest part of the ocean- right at its bed- where it is extremely dark and cold?

The Mariana Trench is said to be the deepest part of the ocean. It is in the western part of the Pacific Ocean and is 36,037 ft deep at its southern end .It is also known as the Challenger Deep. What’s even more astonishing is the fact that life exists in such a harsh environment. One such deep-sea animal is the Mariana Snailfish (Pseudoliparis swirei) that was discovered quite recently in the year 2014 but was classified and given a name in 2017. This tiny fish resembles a tadpole. It was first caught by the research vessel Falkor.

The Mariana Snailfish is said to be a creature whose habitat ranges “from 6,198 to 8,076 m (20,335-26,496 ft), including a capture at 7,966 m (26,135 ft). This is possibly the depth record for a fish caught on the seafloor.” The fish has remarkable and very unusual bodily features that are needed to survive at such a high pressure, extremely cold water, and an unbelievably dark environment. It has “transparent skin that lacks pigment, certain organs and eggs that are enlarged, the muscles are thinner, the ossification of its bones (notably the skull) is incomplete, it appears to have little or no ability to see, there are mechanisms that allow proteins in its body to still function, and differences in the cell membranes for maintaining the flexibility.” This tiny fish lives under such high pressure down there that it is as if they are bearing the weight of 1600 elephants standing on their heads. (Watch the YouTube clip below to view the discovery of amazing living beings in the abyss of Mariana Trench).

For centuries, humans have tried to come up with ways to discover the world underwater. With the invention of submersibles, scuba gears, submarines and now the nuclear-powered underwater behemoths, we have come a long way. The ever progressing and extremely fascinating technological efforts have left many in awe of science. All these efforts have allowed humans to take underwater research expeditions and discover various species as well as the plastic waste that settles at the seabed ultimately harming sea-creatures. But a single such expedition requires lots of knowledge, machinery, and money. Even a single set of scuba gear can cost up to $300.

Submarines are used for naval expeditions, and they are part of a country’s naval pride. Cornelis Drebbel, a Dutch engineer, designed and built the first navigable submarine between 1620- 1624. Just as a submarine has a manufacturer who is highly praised for his final product, is it not reasonable to say that a Mariana Snailfish is also a created being designed by The One who is All-Knowing, and the Best of Fashioners- given the fact that such a deep-sea creature has different features than other sea animals? The Mariana Snailfish feeds on crustaceans, which include invertebrates such as shrimps, crabs, etc. So, for a Mariana Snailfish to exist, crustaceans need to exist, and for them to exist algae and planktons must exist- because that’s what they eat to survive, and so on. This means that all these creatures are inter-connected and inter-dependent which brings us to the conclusion that their Creator must be and can only be One and not many. That is because these creatures depend on the entire universe. The One who creates and sustains the whole universe can create them.

The scientific study or the exoteric meaning of the Mariana Snailfish actually leads us to its Creator, the Almighty, and this is the esoteric meaning behind the existence of these tiny creatures. It reveals our Creator, who created living beings in the deep ocean, as All-Powerful, All-Knowing, All-Wise, and Most-Merciful in His creative acts of sustaining life in even in the deepest point of the ocean. Through its esoteric meaning, the Mariana Snailfish points to the existence of its Creator- the One, the Almighty who is Merciful enough to have given humans the ability to discover them and learn more about them. The question is- why would He do this? Well, it must be to make humans acknowledge their Creator who is All-Powerful, to make man submit his ego to Him and bow down to no one but Him alone and to ultimately get liberated from worldly gods. Our Creator teaches us moral lessons of kindness, mercy, generosity, and hope through the Mariana Snailfish. Indeed, if relying on Him gives these fish a comfortable life in the least comfortable conditions, then, we too shall rely on Him alone to find such comfort and tranquility.