One of the largest and most well-preserved giant squids ever found is now on display at the Natural History Museum in London, England.
The creature was caught using a trawl net off the coast of the Falkland Islands, measuring up to 8.2 meters in length. Museum researchers undertook a meticulous preservation process to keep it intact, and it is currently showcased in a 9-meter glass tank.
Giant squids, once thought to be mythical sea creatures, are rarely observed and inhabit depths ranging from 200 to 1,000 meters.
They can weigh up to 1 ton, with the largest recorded specimen measuring 18.5 meters, which appeared in 1880 off the coast of the Bay of New Zealand.
“Most giant squids tend to wash up on beaches when they are dead, or are found in the stomachs of sperm whales, which is why they are often in very poor condition, decomposed and mangled,” said Jon Ablett, the manager of the mollusk group at the museum and head of the preservation team. This makes the discovery of a large, intact specimen extremely rare.
T. An
