Nature & Environment

Giant squid washes up on beach in Spain

By T.K. Randall
October 7, 2013

Image: Giant squid - Museum national d'histoire naturelle
Credit: Mgiganteus1 / CC BY-SA 4.0 (adapted) Despite its large size the giant squid is a species that has remained highly elusive. A solitary animal that lives deep down in the ocean where it is rarely encountered, these gigantic sea creatures eke out an existence that we know very little about.

Most of what we do know about these animals is based on the examination of remains that have washed up on beaches like the one found this week in Spain. Weighing 180lbs, the specimen was taken to the Maritime Museum of Cantabria in the city of Santander where efforts have been underway to preserve it for study.Some of the most significant advances in giant squid research have centered around recent attempts to record footage of them in their natural habitat. While many considered this an inpractical task, in 2012 Japanese zoologist Tsunemi Kubodera proved that it could be done by successfully capturing one of the animals on camera using a special submersible off the Bonin Islands.

"It was shining and so beautiful," he said. "I was so thrilled when I saw it first hand, but I was confident we would because we rigorously researched the areas we might find it, based on past data."

Source: Nature World News

Tags: Giant Squid