Divers looking for a great place to fish off the southern coast of Wellington, New Zealand, on Saturday morning (August 25) found one of the ocean's most impressive creatures: a dead but intact giant squid.
After our dive, we went back to (the squid) One of the divers, Daniel Aplin, told the New Zealand Herald:
A representative of New Zealand's Department of Conservation told the Herald that the divers likely found a giant squid (Architeuthis dux) rather than a giant squid ( Mesonychoteuthis hamiltoni). [Breathtaking photos of deep-sea squid feeding]
Both are intimidating sea creatures, with giant squid typically measuring up to 16 feet (5 meters) long and giant squid up to 30 feet (10 meters) long, according to the Smithsonian, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature
Scientists know very little about these deep-sea creatures. little is known because these animals are so rare. Most observations come from the occasional specimen coming ashore, as in this case, or being accidentally caught by fishermen.
The cause of death of this giant tentacled creature is unknown. Aplin told the Herald that the squid appeared unharmed, except for one very small scratch, and that divers "wouldn't think that's what killed it." When the divers checked the squid again after the dive, they thought it had shrunk a bit, but no animal decided to make a meal out of the dead squid, Aplin said,
He called it a friend at New Zealand's National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA) who arranged for the squid to be taken, according to the Herald.
Aplin is a marine shotgun fishing and free Diving Specialists employee, who posted a photo of the giant squid on the company's Facebook page, which prompted a flood of comments." Imagine swimming past it!" One commenter wrote Who's going to Kalamari?" Find Another
Original article on life sciences.