Giant Squid Invade California Again

Giant Humboldt squid weighing up to 60 pounds have invaded the California waters off Newport Beach. The squid appeared last week and immediately attracted sports fisherman hoping to catch the supersize squid. In this photo released by Newport Landing Sport Fishing, Seth Zea, left, from Irvine, Calif., and Frankie Duenas, right, from Anaheim, hold the giant squid they caught Jan. 31, 2010, off the coast of Newport Beach, Calif. (Liz Garcia/Newport Landing Sport Fishing/AP Photo)

On July 22, 2009, I wrote a blog on giant Humboldt squid invading California waters. Now, approximately 6 months later, the waters off Newport Beach are being invaded by giant Humboldt squid up to 60 lb (27 kg) in weight. Sport fishermen are taking advantage of this and the squid are being caught by the hundreds.

Squid are best jigged for at night; so, local fishermen started booking twilight fishing trips to better catch the goliaths. Robert Woodbury, from Newport Landing Sportfishing, told the LA Times that the anglers come in two main types: those hungry for the relatively pricey delicacy; and, the sports angler eager to tangle with a feistier sea creature.

"Most of the fish we catch are better to eat; but, they don't give you much of a fight." He went on to say that the squid "trying to crawl around and blow ink all over everybody."

Robert Woodbury verified that approximately 400 squid had been caught since January 29, 2009. Most of the squid caught weigh in between 20 – 40 lb.; but, a few fishermen have reeled in huge 60 lb. creatures. Humboldts are also called jumbo squid or jumbo flying squid. Their main weapon of defense is the dense ink they squirt everywhere when threatened. They can grow to an immense 100 lb. in weight and 6 ft. in length. They hunt by following food sources.

The squid have also recently been spotted off San Diego, Oregon and Washington, on the West Coast of the United States. Orange County sports fishing businesses were celebrating what should have been an uneventful arrival of the squid. This normally a quiet time of year; but, then the giant Humboldts arrived.

They are not unknown off the coast of America.

In September, 2009, a record-breaking 19 ft long squid, weighing 103 pounds, was caught off the Gulf of Mexico.

Via abcnews and telegraph

Giant Squid Invasion in the Waters of California

Photo credit: Dana Rene Bowler (Ventura County Star) Courtesy of Squid.us.

Tales of giant squid slithering up from the depths, wrapping their tentacles around sailors and pulling them overboard to their deaths were the stuff ancient mariners’ nightmares were made of.

A modern-day invasion of jumbo flying squid is plaguing the shallow waters off San Diego, CA., USA. Scuba divers and beachgoers alike are unsure about going back in the water after seeing these denizens of the deep washed up on the beaches.

Humboldt squid are carnivorous and can weigh up to 45 kg (100 lb). They have huge beaks and can be very aggressive and/or inquisitive.

"The ones that we are getting right now have a big beak on them, like a large parrot beak," San Diego's Union-Tribune quoted John Hyde of the National Marine Fisheries Service as saying. "They could take a chunk of flesh off you."

Humboldt squid, which can weigh up to 45kg (100lb) have entered shallow waters off San Diego, California. Photograph: Visuals Unlimited/Corbis.

Close encounters of the cephalopod kind have many divers and swimmers running for the beaches. Many were torn between concerns for their personal safety and the opportunity to swim with the squids – an once-in-a-lifetime experience. Adding to the personal safety concerns are the reports by some divers that the squids’ tentacles were enveloping their masks and yanking at their cameras and gear. There is also the danger that the squid could foul their airways.

Adding to the fear is the fact that the Humboldt squid, named after the current in the eastern Pacific, have been known to attack humans. They have been nicknamed "red devils" for their rust-red colouring and mean streak. Divers wanting to observe the creatures often bait the water; then, use a metal viewing cage or wear chainmail to avoid being lashed by the creature's tentacles. Think shark cage!

The squid, which is most commonly found in deep water from California to the bottom of South America, hunts in schools of up to 1,200 individuals, can swim up to 15 mph and can skim over the water to escape predators.

An 4.0 earthquake took place in the Pacific Ocean 19 miles out to sea just before the Humboldt squid showed up. This is being looked at to determine if it may have dazed the squid to the point that they ended up beached a La Jolla beach.

Following are two short videos showing the humboldt squid problem and questioning whether the earthquake was responsible.



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