A humongous giant squid emerged from ocean depths as it was hooked by lucky anglers in the Philippines.

The 15ft-long sea creature was baited on a hook by a group of fishermen in Negros Occidental province on June 20.

Footage shows the squid drifting in the water beside a boat as mesmerised locals watched their massive catch. A smaller giant squid was caught in the area before the bigger one swam near the surface.

The squid, which was more than half the size of the men's vessel and weighed 50kg, was released by the fishermen into the sea afterwards.

They proudly watched it float back into the ocean - despite the King's ransom the leviathan would have fetched at the local sea food market.

One of the anglers, Nicol John Entia, said: ‘That was the biggest giant squid I have ever seen. It looked out of this world.'

Giant squids, one of the largest living invertebrates, can grow to impressive sizes, with the largest specimens estimated to reach lengths of up to 43ft.