Giant Squids

Just last year in September 2009, the National Oceanic and Atmosphere Administration (NOAA) caught a Giant squid (Architeuthis) when they were doing research off the coast of Louisiana in the Gulf of Mexico. Measuring 19.5 feet from fin to tentacle, NOAA caught the giant squid in a trawl 1500 meters deep. Just like any other squid, the Giant squid has the fin, the mantle, the head, the arms and the tentacles. Their skin has a hint of pink because the ocean quickest absorbs the red wavelengths. Therefore, the squid becomes practically invisible in the deeps sea. Giant squid as suspected to live near continental-slope areas where the shallow water drops off a cliff into deep water. This has been one of few rare sightings of a Giant squid. Hence, the giant squid has always been a mysterious creature to us.

One of the mythologies of the Giant squid is the Kraken. Giant squids are known to feed on shrimp, fish, and other squids. However, there have been sightings of Giant squid attacking sperm whales. In 1966, two South African lighthouse keepers witnessed a young sperm whale struggling against a Giant squid. The fight went on for half an hour and finally the Giant squid won and dragged the whale down in the depths. In 1965, a Soviet whaler watched a battle between a Giant squid and a 40-ton sperm whale. Both the squid and the whale died. The Giant squid’s head was in the sperm whale’s stomach and the Giant squid’s tentacles were around the neck of the sperm whale. Scientist believe that these whale attacks have some relation to the horror stories of the Kraken. Because the bows of ships looked like whales, scientists hypothesize that Giant squid attack ships thinking that the ships are sperm whales.

Sightings of the Giant squid are rare and there is little we know about the Giant Squid. We still have much to learn about this mysterious deep-sea creature. Having said that, we can safely say that the legendary Kraken can be given the benefit of the doubt that it is not an aggressive sea creature that feeds off humans.

Sources:

Museum of Unnatural History. "The Giant Squid” Viewed February 6, 2010.

Annonymous “Rare Giant Squid captured in US Gulf of Mexico” Ocean and Technology (Dec 2009) Vol. 15, Iss 8, pg. 17

Viegas, Jennifer “Giant Squid caught off coast of Louisiana” MSNBC (Sep 23, 2009)

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