The real-life SpongeBob SquarePants and Patrick Star have been spotted together about a mile deep in the Atlantic ocean. On Tuesday, an underwater expedition uncovered a bright yellow sea sponge resting right next to a pink sea star, and for anyone who's seen the cartoon series on Nickelodeon, it's hard not to make the comparison. Marine scientist Cristopher Mah couldn't help but share the bizarre discovery on Twitter for everyone to see.

Mah's tweet reads: "*laugh* I normally avoid these refs..but WOW. REAL LIFE Spongebob and Patrick! #Okeanos Retreiver seamount 1885 m. Scientific names: Hertwigia (sponge) and Chondraster (starfish)."

"I thought it would be funny to make the comparison, which for once was actually kind of comparable to the iconic images/colors of the cartoon characters," Mah said of the discovery, via Insider. "As a biologist who specializes in sea stars, most depictions of Patrick and SpongeBob are incorrect."

Here's where the bad news comes in. Mah explained how sea stars are carnivores that like to cling to their prey before devouring them. Sea sponges are said to be a preferred snack for Condraster stars, so the real-life "Patrick" in this case isn't trying to hang out with his best pal "SpongeBob," but most likely inching closer to eat him instead. How's that for a SpongeBob SquarePants episode?

SpongeBob and Patrick in the picture here were found deep in the Atlantic, about a mile underneath the surface. They were spotted by a remotely operated deep-sea vehicle on the side of an underwater mountain called Retriever seamount, about 200 miles east of New York City. NOAA's Okeanos Explorer ship is sending remotely operated vehicles, or ROVs, into the depths of the ocean to explore submarine habitats, all the while photographing and even livestreaming their journeys.

It's probably best for fans to stick with the animated versions of SpongeBob and Patrick where we know things won't end quite so grim for the sponge and sea star. The two have been best friends since SpongeBob SquarePants premiered on Nickelodeon in 1999 and have since extended their adventures to the big screen with multiple movies. Their newest movie, The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run, premiered on Paramount+ in March along with the prequel spinoff series Kamp Koral: SpongeBob's Under Years.

Patrick is going to be getting his own time in the spotlight as well. Just recently, he was given his own animated spinoff, The Patrick Star Show, which premiered this month on Nickelodeon. It is in the vein of a sitcom that follows Patrick and the other members of his family as Patrick hosts the series from his own home. Of course, SpongeBob is still around as well, appearing on the series as Patrick Star's best friend. Other spinoffs about Squidward Tentacles and Sandy Cheeks are reportedly in the works, and we can only imagine SpongeBob and Patrick will be involved in some capacity.

You can watch classic episodes of SpongeBob SquarePants on Paramount Plus. The image of the real life SpongeBob and Patrick from the Atlantic was shared by Christopher Mah on Twitter. This news comes to us from Insider.