The sighting of a living giant squid has captured significant attention from local residents and scientists, as this species is extremely rare.
The rare squid will be transferred to an aquarium. (Photo: Mainichi)
Many fishermen were surprised to encounter a nearly 3-meter-long living giant squid. They discovered the creature stranded on Ugu Beach in Obama City, Fukui Prefecture, at 10 AM local time on April 21.
The squid was still alive, according to the Obama city authorities. An official stated that it is very rare for a living giant squid to wash up on the beach. The Echizen Matsushima Aquarium in Sakai City will be the new home for this cephalopod.
Fishermen in South Africa encountered a giant squid washed up on the sand in 2020. Scientists placed it in a freezer for safe preservation for dissection and further study. Giant squids typically weigh more than a young elephant and can be more than twice the size of an adult man.
With lengths reaching up to 13 meters, the giant squid is one of the largest invertebrates on Earth. However, their enormous size does not make them easier to detect, as they live at depths greater than 400 meters. Their eyes, the size of dinner plates, are among the largest of any living creature, allowing them to observe in the pitch-black waters. This means that giant squids can see vehicles and remotely operated submarines from over a kilometer away. Researchers had never encountered a living giant squid before 2002, and they filmed this creature for the first time in 2006.
