Posted on 12/22/2006 7:16:30 AM PST by pajama pundit
TOKYO, Dec 22 (AFP) Japanese scientists Friday released what they say could be the first live video footage of the elusive giant squid, exposing some of the creature's underwater secrets.
Scientists of the National Science Museum said they succeeded in catching a deep-sea giant squid at a depth of 640 meters (2,112 feet) on December 6 in the North Pacific Ocean, some 1,000 kilometers (620 miles) south of Tokyo.
"As the video movie shows, the giant squid struggled furiously to escape the catch by spouting water from its funnel. This means they can actually swim pretty fast, in addition to their normal movement just drifting in deep waters," said Tsunemi Kubodera, head of the research team, as he showed the video to reporters.
"Probably this is the first-ever video of a live giant squid, although I have not confirmed it yet," Kubodera said.
The squid was 3.5 meters (11.55 feet) long, with a head stretching 1.4 meters, and weighed 50 kilogram (110 pounds), he said.
Kubodera said he started rolling a camera just before another member of the team caught the giant squid with a long-rope trap.
Scientists said the capture at a depth of 640 meters suggested an enormous number of squid lived at great depths.
"Squid, including giant squid, are the main food for sperm whales. And one sperm whale has to eat at least 500 kilograms of squid everyday," said Kubodera.
"About 200,000 sperm whales are thought to live in the western half of the Pacific, so you can see how many squid there should be in deep waters," he said.
Scientists would study the remains of the squid's stomach in the coming months, he added.
The first video of a giant squid was in "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea".
In other news, Giant wok being prepared for huge Calimari feast.......
Salt and Pepper Squid, MMmmmmmmmm.
Garlic Snow Pea Greens, MMMMMmmmmmmmmm.
They'd be as big as hula hoops!........
The oceans covers an area three times the entire landmass on earth. They can be inhabited for relatively long lengths of time on all three dimensions, unlike land. And they are barely explorable.
Strange creatures MUST exist in those murky depths!
On Wednesday, I had squid in hot red curry at a Thai restaurant - that's the first thing I though of seeing this article.
Squid kid.
"...About 200,000 sperm whales are thought to live in the western half of the Pacific..."
That's a lot of whales! Sounds like we could start harvesting them again. I guess I shouldn't have sold all my stock in North American Whale Bone.
If this is the first footage, and it was on December 6, what did I see on the Discovery Channel back in November? They had 'the first footage' of a giant squid. It was also by a Japanese crew so maybe the dates are wrong.
Are you sure it wasn't the deadly Mexican Staring Frog of Southern Sri Lanka, and not the elusive, and deadly Giant Squid?
Nearly 20 posts and no hillary-squid pictures?
Well, now that you mention it...
I saw it too. I believe that this was the same crew and they claim it is the first live video versus the taped videos that they recorded on the Discover Channel show. They recorded this video as the watched versus throwing a camera down deep and later look to see what they recorded.
ROFLOL.
Thanks.
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