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2012-01-01T17:19:00.001-08:00

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Giant Octopus With Jack-O-Lantern

2009-10-31T08:00:00.000-07:00

The New York Aquarium's resident Giant Octopus "Squirt" posing with a jack-o-lantern. Happy Halloween from Squid Report.

Why Are Squid Washing Up On Shore?

2009-10-09T12:14:00.000-07:00

Even though there has been an increase in reports of Giant Squid, sightings and findings are still relatively few and far between. Since the first photos of a live Giant Squid in its natural habitat were taken just five years ago (September 30, 2004 by Dr. Tsunemi Kubodera), there is little known about the animals habits and range of habitat. There have been only three cases of Giant Squid reported found in North America since this summer. Two have been found off in the Gulf of Mexico and one off the coast of British Columbia. In each case, a single squid was found floating in the water. This makes sense as the giant squid generally thought of to be a solitary hunter.

One theory leading to the death of Giant Squid in the Gulf of Mexico is the sudden change of ocean depth when a squid migrated from the Atlantic.

There have, however, been a few interesting cases of schools of Humbolt Squid washing up on shore this year. The Humbolt Squid travels in groups of up to 1200 individual squid and generally live in warm Pacific waters off the coast of Mexico. It is thought that because of climate changes, the Humbolt Squid populations are moving north towards the Pacific Northwest. As they move into these waters they encounter a wide variety of new environmental stresses, because of this it is necessary to examine each situation on its own.

On July 13, 2009, dozens of dazed Humbolt Squid washed up on La Jolla Shores beach in La Jolla, California. This was thought to have been caused by a magnitude 4.0 earthquake that occurred 19 miles off the coast. It is thought that the quake disoriented and confused the squid.

View more news videos at: http://www.nbcsandiego.com/video.

News and Video

On September 22, 2009, Dozens of Humbolts washed ashore along the central Oregon Coast between Florence and Newport.

According to The Register-Guard:

The ones that washed up in Oregon on Tuesday were mostly about 2 feet long, with characteristic purplish red and white skin and two diamond-shaped fins that they use to swim and glide. Many were still alive when they rolled onto shore, said Bill Hanshumaker, a marine education specialist with the Hatfield Marine Science Center.

“They’re not dying offshore,” Hanshumaker said. “They’re coming to the beach in major distress, and then they die.”

Why that’s happening is something of a mystery, he added, though it was about this time last year that a group of squid were reported stranded on Oregon beaches along with about two dozen salmon sharks. A similar number of dead sharks has reappeared on Oregon beaches in recent weeks, Hanshumaker said, so it’s possible that the demise of these two types of creatures is somehow linked.

One possibility with the squid involves whether they are “terminal spawners,” a question Hanshumaker said he was researching, which could indicate that the creatures happened to spawn nearby and then came ashore and died.

News Story

On Sept. 28, 2009, 300 squid washed up on Long Beach, in British Columbia. The reason is unknown.

News Story

In these three cases, we have three potential explanations:

1- Earthquake

2- “Terminal Spawners” - They spawn nearby and then come ashore to die

3- Mysterious and Unknown

That's a lot of writing to pretty much say "it depends".

Movie Trailer Friday: Peter Benchley's The Beast

2009-10-09T08:00:00.000-07:00

It's JAWS, but with a Giant Squid. Seeing as how the movie was made on a shoe-string (made for TV) budget in the mid 1990's, it honestly doesn't look too bad. It looks to be equal, if not better than, Mega Shark vs Giant Octopus. The Beast has actually been posted on YouTube in its entirety and Squid Writer plans on watching it eventually. Until then, enjoy the trailer.

Giant Squid Found Off Cayman Islands

2009-10-08T11:51:00.000-07:00

TheCaymanNetNews.com is reporting:
Three fishermen in waters off the coast of Grand Cayman came across a dead Giant Squid on September 27, 2009. The fisherman marked the spot of discovery on their GPS and contacted the Department of Environment. Scientists from the Department of Environment determined the squid to be Asperoteuthis acanthoderma. This is a very rare deep water squid and is only the fifth animal of the species to ever be documented in the Atlantic.

The article quotes Dr. Heather Judkins, a cephalopod expert at the University of South Florida:

Dr Judkins explained that discoveries might be due to fishermen now recognising the importance of reporting giant squid sightings to scientists, and that topography of the ocean floor might also play a role. She said that in the Florida Keys and the Cayman Islands “there is a geological bump of sorts where the depth of the water goes from deep to shallow rather quickly and that may be bringing the squid closer to the surface.”

Full Article

A photo of the found Giant Squid:

SQUID MAP has been updated with newest finding.

Giant Squid Map

2009-10-07T15:47:00.000-07:00

Squid Report has added a map of Giant Squid sightings. A small version of the map is located on the right side of the site. A mark will be placed for each new sighting as well as a short summary of the sighting. The full map can be accessed <here>. As of right now there are only two markers (representing the two sightings since the inception of Squid Report). Be patient, the map will grow.

Giant Squid Moving To New Waters??

2009-10-07T14:54:00.000-07:00

Squid Writer has luckily stumbled across some more info about the Giant Squid found off the coast of Louisiana. The original post on this particular squid can be found <here>. It turns out that the squid was the first to be found in the Gulf of Mexico since 1954! It's been 55 years! This finding along with the squid found off the coast of British Columbia, means that they could potentially be moving into previously unseen territories. Squid Writer will be sure to stay on top of this issue for you, and will begin to chart the locations of squid findings.

MORE INFO

Below: Photo of the Sperm Whale researchers that found the103lb squid.

BREAKING NEWS: NHK And Science Channel Team Up In A Multi-Million Dollar Quest to Find And Film The Giant Squid

2009-10-06T11:11:00.000-07:00

HUGE NEWS FOR FANS OF GIANT SQUID!!
Here is what you need to know:
NHK and Science Channel are teaming up with Atlantic Productions and embarking on the largest beast quest this world has ever seen. With help from Dr. Tsunemi Kubodera (who was on the team of scientists that first captured the elusive Giant Squid on film) as well as ultra high-tech cameras and submersibles, the team plans on creating a multi part series titled GIANT SQUID: LAST MYSTERY OF THE DEEP. The series is set to air in 2012. Get Stoked.

Dr. Tsunemi Kubodera

Press Release:

NHK and Science Channel Partner on Multi-Year, Multi-Million Dollar Co-Production to Film the Elusive Giant Squid, In Its Natural Habitat, for the Very First Time
Posted on : 2009-10-06 | Author : Science Channel
News Category : PressRelease

Atlantic Productions to Produce the English Language Versions of GIANT SQUID: LAST MYSTERY OF THE DEEP CANNES, France, Oct. 6
CANNES, France, Oct. 6 /PRNewswire/ -- NHK, NHK Enterprises, Science Channel and Atlantic Productions have teamed up for the largest-ever international quest for a living giant squid. Though scientists have tried for decades to find this creature in its natural habitat, researchers have had but the merest glimpse of this notoriously reclusive animal. Through a new multi-million dollar expedition, scientists will study, for the first time, Architeuthis dux in its native environment and viewers around the world will see the last great leviathan of the deep.

NHK's Executive Managing Director, Hidemi Hyuga, expressed his excitement on behalf of both NHK and NHK Enterprises, which is their biggest production arm, "This is the start of a dream-come-true venture for NHK. We have long been in pursuit of the giant squid and have caught glimpses of it in the past 10 years, but we have never succeeded in filming it in its natural habitat. With our partnership with the Science Channel, I am convinced that this ambitious project is in the hands of an ideal team."

"We are proud to partner with NHK on this impressive and exciting adventure to the deep ocean home of the giant squid," said Clark Bunting, president and general manager, Discovery Emerging Networks. "The research, technology and expertise brought together for this endeavor give us the best shot ever of finding and filming the giant squid in action and we look forward to working with other broadcasters around the world on this important project."

Scheduled to air in 2012, the global production will result in a multi-part special following the incredible technological and scientific effort required to find and film the giant squid, in cooperation with marine biologist and giant squid expert Dr. Tsunemi Kubodera. The program will also explore the other exotic and unusual beasts inhabiting this largely unexplored deep sea region. Bringing the recesses of the ocean vividly to life, the special will showcase other nearly unknown creatures including the mysterious mega-mouth shark and a predator that resembles a 350 million year old sea serpent. These unusual ecosystems will be unveiled in vivid detail for the first time in GIANT SQUID: LAST MYSTERY OF THE DEEP.

Measuring over 30 feet long, with enormous tentacles equipped with serrated suckers and a razor sharp beak, a live giant squid has been filmed only once before, by a research team led by Dr. Kubodera in 2006, who saw and filmed an ailing creature on the surface of the sea. Previously, in 2004, Dr. Kubodera was on the scientific team that first captured live images of a giant squid attacking bait.

Using the latest in submersible technology, including cameras specially designed for these expeditions, scientists believe they now have a new lure for the mysterious animal. A companion high-tech submersible support ship, equipped with millions of dollars of specialized equipment designed for this mission, is capable of completing dozens of dives in the search for the marine creature. Additional camera power will come from deep sea fixed position cameras as well as unique pressure-resistant cameras affixed with extremely strong suction cups to the backs of whales. A deep rover submersible will allow scientists to explore previously unstudied depths.

GIANT SQUID: LAST MYSTERY OF THE DEEP is produced by NHK/NHK Enterprises and Science Channel in association with Atlantic Productions. For NHK, Hiromichi Iwasaki of NHK Enterprises is executive producer. For Science Channel Wyatt Channell is executive producer, Debbie Myers is general manager and Clark Bunting is president, Discovery Emerging Networks. For Atlantic Productions, Anthony Geffen is executive producer.

About NHK/NHK Enterprises

NHK (Japan Broadcasting Corporation) is Japan's public broadcaster. Funded entirely by receiving fees from Japanese households, it has a reputation for impartial, high-quality programming. Through its five nationwide TV channels, NHK reaches about 50 million households. NHK Enterprises (NEP) is NHK's biggest program production affiliate. Through commission and co-production, NEP makes a vast number of NHK programs in various genres including natural history.

About Science Channel

Science Channel is broadcast 24 hours a day and seven days a week to more than 57 million U.S. homes and simulcast on Science Channel HD. We immerse viewers in the incredible possibilities of science, from string theory and futuristic cities to accidental discoveries and outrageous inventions. We take things apart, peer inside and put things together in new and unexpected ways. We celebrate the trials, errors and brinking moments that change our lives forever. To find out more go to sciencechannel.com.

About Atlantic Productions

Atlantic Productions is one of the world's leading factual production companies whose films have been seen around the world. Atlantic's award-winning and acclaimed films include 'Jerusalem: City of Heaven', 'Nefertiti: Resurrected', 'Predator X', 'Egypt Unwrapped' and 'The Link'.

SOURCE Science Channel

Giant Squid Sighting In British Columbia

2009-10-06T09:05:00.000-07:00

Giant squid washes up on Salt Spring

By Neil Horner - Parksville Qualicum Beach News
Published: October 05, 2009 4:00 PM
"A Saanich couple, boating near Salt Spring Island this summer, came across an 11-foot baby Giant squid..."

<here> for the full story, or you can keep reading below for the gist.

Basically, a couple were sailing out to Salt Spring Island in British Columbia this summer and came across a dead, 11 foot juvenile Architeuthis dux, or Giant squid. They dragged the dead animal to shore, stretched it out, took some pictures, and called some scientists. By the time the scientists arrived, the squid was pretty much just a pile of jelly.

The strange thing about this story is that Giant Squid usually inhabit deeper waters, so either it was lost...or up to something.

Photo of that stretched out squid:

Create Your Own Squid Pillow

2009-10-06T08:43:00.000-07:00

Philadelphia Weekly has posted step by step instructions on their style blog detailing how you can build your loved one a terrifying squid pillow. What ever you do DO NOT build one! In a Child's Play-like scenario this would be the worst possible toy to come alive. You don't even want to mess with that.

They have also posted a gallery of potential man-eating pillows <here>

Scientists Accidentally Find & Kill Giant Squid In Gulf Of Mexico

2009-10-05T23:40:00.000-07:00

According to a news article on Mother Nature News, scientists accidentally ensnared a "Giant" Squid in a fishing net while studying the eating habits of the Sperm Whale. The word "Giant" in the previous sentence is encased in quotation marks because, while the squid was more giant than a regular squid, it wasn't exactly be considered "Giant" on the Andre the Giant scale of Giantness. It measured only 19.3 feet long. Giant Squid have been known to grow to be 43 feet long, so this one was only a teenager. Cause of death is determined to be the change in pressure resulting from being rapidly brought to the surface. Basically, these scientist exploded it.

Here is a photo of the exploded Giant Squid:

photo: NOAA

Giant Octopus Makes Appearance For Timberland

2009-10-05T20:14:00.000-07:00

A capsized boat. A sailor adrift at sea encounters a giant octopus. Luckily, he's wearing his Timberland Earthkeepers.