On The Beach: Kiwi Giant Squid

Breaking news on August 8, 2010:

A rare squid washed up dead on a Wellington beach this morning with experts saying they believe it had been attacked in the sea.

The massive squid was found by residents at Houghton Bay on Wellington’s south coast and experts from Te Papa have estimated it could be up to 4m long. The remains have now been washed out to sea.

Te Papa communications manager Jane Kieg said the creature was in bad shape as it had been attacked and had suffered further damage from being washed up on the beach.

Department of Conservation Wellington area manager Rob Stone initially identified the squid as a colossal squid – the largest type.

But Ms Kieg said it was a giant squid. She said colossal squid have short tentacles with swivel hooks and massive fins. But the Wellington beast has long tentacles with teethed suckers and small fins.

Giant squid can grow up to 13 metres in length.

Department of Conservation staff had removed the creature’s beak and experts at Te Papa would measure it in order to determine the age of the creature.

Ms Kieg said it was however a “fantastic” opportunity to see a giant squid. Te Papa had one of its educators at the beach, explaining the giant squid to people.

Because the area is a marine reserve, the remains were left on the beach but were washed backed out to sea about 3pm.

Victoria Univesrity marine biology student and Island Bay resident Jeannine Fischer said she was in a laboratory this morning when she heard about the squid having washed up on the beach, so went down for a look.

”As far as I know it is very rare. I’ve never heard of such a big squid washing up so close to Wellington.”

Ms Fischer said the squid, which was white, with pink and white tentacles, was sitting in a stormwater channel.

Also see, at the above news site, photographs by Emma Best, Jeannine Fischer, James Grover, Simon Brunton, and Steve Watts.

Loren Coleman About Loren Coleman
Loren Coleman is one of the world’s leading cryptozoologists, some say “the” leading living cryptozoologist. Certainly, he is acknowledged as the current living American researcher and writer who has most popularized cryptozoology in the late 20th and early 21st centuries. Starting his fieldwork and investigations in 1960, after traveling and trekking extensively in pursuit of cryptozoological mysteries, Coleman began writing to share his experiences in 1969. An honorary member of Ivan T. Sanderson’s Society for the Investigation of the Unexplained in the 1970s, Coleman has been bestowed with similar honorary memberships of the North Idaho College Cryptozoology Club in 1983, and in subsequent years, that of the British Columbia Scientific Cryptozoology Club, CryptoSafari International, and other international organizations. He was also a Life Member and Benefactor of the International Society of Cryptozoology (now-defunct). Loren Coleman’s daily blog, as a member of the Cryptomundo Team, served as an ongoing avenue of communication for the ever-growing body of cryptozoo news from 2005 through 2013. He returned as an infrequent contributor beginning Halloween week of 2015. Coleman is the founder in 2003, and current director of the International Cryptozoology Museum in Portland, Maine.

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