The cartoon doppelgängers were found deep in the ocean off Cape Cod.

Researchers spotted some celebrities on a recent deep-sea exploration. The team was exploring footage from an underwater cave off the coast of Massachusetts when they found images of sea life that resembled SpongeBob Squarepants and Patrick. The popular Nickelodeon cartoon features a yellow sea sponge named SpongeBob Squarepants and a pink sea star named Patrick.

One of the biologists shared the image of the real-life best friends sitting on a reef in the ocean.

The underwater expedition is part of a project called the 2021 North Atlantic Stepping Stones: New England and Corner Rise Seamounts managed by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Marine researchers used a remotely operated deep-sea vehicle or ROV to explore areas off Cape Cod at depths of up to 13,000 feet below sea level. The goal of the project is to learn about the area and map the seafloor.

SpongeBob and Patrick were found by Christopher Mah, a marine biologist at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History. Mah noticed the pair when he was looking through the footage taken by the ROV. He posted a picture of sea creatures to his Twitter feed. Fans of the show took Mah’s image and added graphics to make them look more like the cartoon versions.

The area where the SpongeBob clones were found is deep under the water where light cannot shine through. Sea sponges are mostly white or orange, so it was remarkable to find a yellow one. Even more remarkable is the fact the sponge was located next to the sea star, an organism that regularly devours sea sponges. Unfortunately, we will never know the true relationship between these sea species, but it's pretty much guaranteed you won't see Patrick try to eat SpongeBob in the cartoon series.

Are you a fan of SpongeBob and Patrick? Share in the comments which character is your favorite.