Giant Squid Caught on Camera in the Wild!

[Astronuc]

First Photos of a Giant Squid in the Wild
 by Michele Norris

All Things Considered, September 28, 2005 · Japanese researchers have captured an elusive prey, taking the first pictures of a live mature giant squid -- at a depth of 3,000 feet in the North Pacific.

Michele Norris talks with Emory Kristof, a photographer for National Geographic. He went to New Zealand twice in hopes of taking such pictures, but without success.

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4867933

http://www.pubs.royalsoc.ac.uk/proc_bio_home_link_3.shtml

 

[Patty]

Isn't that the greatest?

[Astronuc]

From the Royal Society's website -

The giant squid, Architeuthis, is one of the most mysterious creatures in the deep-sea. This is the first-ever successful attempt to observe a live giant squid in the wild. Not only do we provide the first live images of Architeuthis, but we have also reported the only data on the depth and behaviour of this species. The observed giant squid was estimated about 8 m in total length, and hunting at 900 m depth during the day. It attacked prey from a horizontal orientation with a pair of long tentacles and enveloped the prey within a coiled tentacular ball.

Yeah, that's pretty cool.  I know some of those folks have been trying for years to catch an image of a giant squid in the wild.  They have been successful in getting images of sperm whales way down there too.

I think sperm whales and giant squids frequent the waters off New Zealand in the Pacific Ocean.