Divers Discovered A ‘Monster’ Squid On A Beach In New Zealand

By Mandy Froelich / Truth Theory

What lurks in the inky black depths of the ocean? This is a question scientist are still trying to answer, despite having access to innovative technologies. So far, what we do know is that humans have only explored about 5 percent of the world’s oceans. That means there is a lot more to unearth. Fortunately, we have more clues as to what kinds of creatures (and how big they might be) are going about their lives in the big blue, following the discovery of a monster-sized squid in New Zealand.

The New Zealand Herald reports that three brothers, Daniel, Jack, and Matthew, were peering across the Wellington coastline for a place to dive when they spotted the washed-up squid near Red Rocks Reserve. “My brother said ‘what’s that over there?’ and pointed it out,” Daniel said. “It was right next to the track so we pulled over and we were like: ‘It’s a big squid’.”

“After we went for a dive we went back to it and got a tape measure out and it measured 4.2 meters [14 feet] long,” he added.“It was pretty clean, nothing major on it. There was a scratch on the top of its head but smaller than a lighter, tiny, wouldn’t think that’s what killed it.” After snapping some photos, Daniel shared the discovery with the Ocean Hunter Spearfishing and Freediving Specialists page on Facebook.

https://www.facebook.com/OceanHunterTeam/posts/1223576644450166

According to a spokesperson from the New Zealand Department of Conservation, the brothers encountered the corpse of the species giant squid (Architeuthis dux). As IFLScience reports, A. dux is estimated to reach 13 meters (43 feet) long. Intriguingly, the species’ tentacles and eight legs are longer than the colossal squids.

What we can theorize from this latest discovery is that giant squids live in all the world’s oceans but prefer the subtropical and temperate waters. Their bodies can also withstand the variants of water pressure, allowing them to plunge 1,000 meters. Undoubtedly, more research will be conducted in the future. For now, it is probably best to be skeptical of all claims about “monster” squid, as many theories are drawn from a biased sample.

Source: NZ Herald

Credits: Facebook, OCEAN HUNTER Spearfishing & Freediving Specialists