NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer found something fascinating and, to be honest, pretty entertaining deep under the sea, and the video from that expedition is making quite a splash.

A submersible launched from the ship was exploring a mile down, streaming a live feed back up where Dr. Christopher Mah, an expert on starfish, was among the scientists watching. With a laugh, he shared a still from the feed to Twitter, saying “I normally avoid these refs..but WOW. REAL LIFE Sponge bob and Patrick!”

He’s referring, of course, to iconic Nickelodeon cartoon characters SpongeBob SquarePants and Patrick Star. It is exactly what the scene looked like. Uncannily so.

(Artist’s rendering.)

Dr. Mah tweeted his exclamation and then an explanation.

*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

Scientific names: Hertwigia (sponge) and Chondraster (starfish) #Okeanos

— Christopher Mah (@echinoblog) July 27, 2021

Sadly, the classic pairing isn’t as cheerful as Nickelodeon would have us believe, NPR reports.

“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,” he says.

Or maybe not. The sponge might be bright yellow because of its chemical defenses, Mah says.

Either way, he says, “The reality is a little crueler than perhaps a cartoon would suggest.”

Read more from NPR here. Or, like me, you can just imagine that in this one special case, the Sponge and the Star are actually pals, hanging out on the ocean floor. That’s how my kids will always remember it.