Regrettably, they were most likely up to naught good. On TV, they’re pals, but in real life, they’re adversaries.
Cartoon best mates come to life in real life. According to Live Science, SpongeBob Squarepants and Patrick Star were discovered sitting side by side at the bottom of the sea.
A remotely operated diving robot discovered the yellow sponge and the pink starfish next to it on July 27 in New England at a depth of 6,184 feet (1,885 meters). The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) was exploring a local mountain range on the seafloor and live-streaming the excursion on Facebook, which included footage of the strange duo.
When Christopher Mah, a marine scientist and expert on sea stars at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History, watched the clip, he immediately recognized the cartoon characters. “Normally, I stay away from these [references], but wow. He described himself as a “real-life SpongeBob and Patrick” on Twitter.
“The sponge belongs to the Hertwigia genus, and the sea star belongs to the Chondraster genus,” Mah said. He went on to say that the specific species is unknown, and that they might possibly be entirely new to science.
The official SpongeBob Squarepants Instagram account joined in the fun at that moment, posting a photo of the real-life critters alongside their fictional counterparts.
Unfortunately, the similarities to cartoon characters are only superficial, since the two critters are far from pals in reality. Mah said, “This kind of starfish has been recorded feeding on sponges.” He also suggested that it may have happened after the camera stopped filming.
The shot is also scientifically fascinating since bright-yellow sponges are uncommon at this level. According to Smithsonian Magazine, most deep-sea sponges are white or other neutral hues, which helps them blend in with their surroundings.
SpongeBob Squarepants was created in 1999 by animator and marine biologist Stephen Hillenburg with the goal of educating youngsters about aquatic life. The television show is still on the air today.
“I’m glad the picture has given so much joy to so many people,” Mah remarked. “I hope it also raises awareness about the deep sea as a habitat, which has been threatened by deep-sea mining and fishing.”