Giant Squid AWARENESS

This post is all about giant squid awareness.
There will probably be a few more about other awe-inspiring denizens of the deep.
I just want people to be aware of how incredible these giants really are.

The Giant Squid.

"The existence of the giant squid, genus Architeuthis, is well accepted by science though few have ever been seen, and little is known about their habits.

Giant squid are carnivorous mollusks that have a long, torpedo shaped body. At one end, surrounding a beak-like mouth strong enough to cut through steel cable, are five pairs of arms. One pair, thinner and longer than the rest, are used to catch food and bring it to the mouth. Just past the mouth are the eyes. Eyes that are the largest in the animal kingdom, getting as big as eighteen inches across.

All squid move through the ocean using a jet of water forced out of the body by a siphon. They eat fish, other squid, and perhaps some argue, in the case of the largest species, whales. The legend of the Kraken, a many armed sea monster that could pull a whole ship under, may have been based on the giant squid.

The largest giant squid ever measured was discovered at Timble Tickle on November 2, 1878. Three fisherman were working not far off shore when they noticed a mass floating on the ocean they took to be wreckage. They investigated and found a giant squid had run aground. Using their anchor as a grappling hook they snagged the still living body and made it fast to a tree. When the tide went out the creature was left high and dry. When the animal died, the fishermen measured it and then chopped it up for dog meat. The body of the squid was twenty feet from tail to beak. The longer tentacles measured thirty five feet and were tipped with four inch suckers."

Link to the Article here.

This partial list from this article:

"#10. We still know very little about the giant squid, including how it hunts.  #9. Humans have been aware of the giant squid for centuries.  #8. There’s an even larger squid than the giant squid.  #7. The giant squid has a sharp beak.  #6. Giant squid battle sperm whales.  #5. Giant squid regenerate their tentacles.  #4. The giant squid is as long as a whale.  #3. The giant squid’s eye is as big as your head.  #2. As gigantic as they are, giant squid are really hard to find.  #1. The giant squid is actually a gentle giant."

This video from Discovery is awesome.

take it easy ;)