GIANT SQUID
DID YOU KNOW?
The Giant squid has the largest eyes in the animal kingdom: eyes the size of dinner plates!
The Giant squid is one of planet Earth’s most mysterious enigmas. Super elusive by nature, we usually learn the most about them when they wash up on beaches. Until 2006, no one had seen one in person, and live sightings are still rare today. If you really want to find one, the beaches of New Zealand and the coasts of the North Atlantic Ocean are where they commonly show up.
Scientists are unclear on how many giant squids roam the seas and very little is known about their lifestyle. There is a consensus that they live in the deepest part of the oceans where the water is much cooler. Their humongous eyes help them capture any little light and allow them to see at great depths. Big as they are, they feed on smaller sea creatures. Their 10 meter long tentacles grab prey and the suckers on each one prevent dinner from escaping.
But being the largest invertebrate in the ocean does not give them any respite from their one mortal enemy: the Sperm whale. They have been found in the stomachs of Sperm whales that have washed up on beaches. However, Giant squids don’t go out without a fight! Sperm whales have been found with battle scars in the form of sucker marks- remnants of their clash.
For a long time now, they have appeared in pop-culture and old tales as the mythical “Kraken” and “Sea Serpent”. At one point, people believed them to be mermen of the sea (male counterparts to mermaids).
CURRENT STATUS:
Because there is no estimate of their population and trend (whether they are increasing or suffering), they have been listed as of least concern. However, it is believed that the general squid population is thriving and on the rise.