ndhill 0 Report post Posted May 2, 2005 Just being the sucker for weird stuff that I am, I was doing a search on Google for photos of Giant squid. I've always had an interest for deep see creatures, especially ones that live where light cannot penatrate. This animal however, is so other worldly that I can't see how anyone can not be fascinated by it. They have never been photographed alive and all we know of them is drawn from corpses that wash up on beaches. That and of course the distinctive sucker-shaped scars that are always present on adult sperm-whales. So far, the largest specimen that's ever been obtained was 65 feet long but scientists believe that they can possibly attain much larger sizes due to the fact that the beak recovered from 65 footer was about the size of a baseball while beaks the size of footballs have been recovered from the stomachs of whales... Meaning that it's quite possible for them to reach sizes of over a hundred feet in length. The beak... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ndhill 0 Report post Posted May 2, 2005 Here's a shot of it's eye. The largest eye in the animal kingdom. It can reach the size of a volleyball. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
isma2012 0 Report post Posted May 2, 2005 Now thats is one of the weirdest things I have ever seen hahahaha, Well to me thats kind of interesting due to the fact that I didn't know this. Wow I didn't know skids could reach that height, and the pictures are very cool. But I mean to me the fact thats is so mysterious it seems amazing to me and nobody has seen it alive seems intersting to me. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Kyle Perkins 0 Report post Posted May 3, 2005 Woah, that's indeed a weird animal. Eyes the size of a volleyball? Heh, this certainly brings to mind 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea...Anyway, I also think it's strange that one of these creatures haven't been seen alive. Are they that reclusive? I mean, there's been more sightings of UFOs, Bigfoot, and the Chupacabra (all of which may not be real) than these very real squid.Sometimes the truth is stranger than fiction, eh?-Kyle Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jet 0 Report post Posted May 3, 2005 nene.. ne.. nene... *stutters in terror*I'm going to get nightmares about giant eyeballs looking at me now.. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kaputnik 0 Report post Posted May 3, 2005 nene.. ne.. nene... *stutters in terror* I'm going to get nightmares about giant eyeballs looking at me now.. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Think of all the free sushi that someone disecting one of these will be able to dish up.. lols.. On a more serious note.. we actually know more about our immediate space and the solar system than we know about the oceans and under-sea creatures.. somehow I find that this is due to our being human and having (while talking about the common person) .. a general aversion to being in water.. Also.. constructing machines that can probe deep under water is more of a dunting task than creating a space faring vessle.. but now with new-age materials and high-tech design techniques, its becoming possible to reach deeeper than ever before and for much longer periods.. SAFELY.. Will look out for more squid sushi.. !!! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
banjosforpeace 0 Report post Posted May 3, 2005 Giant squid are perpetually fascinating. Here's another thread: http://forums.xisto.com/topic/81653-topic/?findpost=1064286769= Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
tealtiger 0 Report post Posted May 4, 2005 they captured a live baby giant squid not too long ago. i remeber reading something about it in teh paper. it followed its mother or something to the beach it washed up on. I always thought that they were born from eggs along with hundreds of others which is kinda wierd to see one following its mother. The ocean is such a cool place. its so mysterious. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jet 0 Report post Posted May 4, 2005 I believe I have a ph34r of the ocean. o.0 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Glockmeister1405241492 0 Report post Posted May 4, 2005 Hopefully people who feel sqiemish dont find this thread. Animals are always interesting creatures to see, particually rare ones. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ndhill 0 Report post Posted May 4, 2005 Yeah. Deep see life is constantly pushing the boundaries of scientific perception. It was once believed that all life need the sun to survive. It was once believed that survival was only possible in a narrow tempeture range. These principles have all since been shattered. It makes you wonder if we might actually find complex multicellular organisms on Europa. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
banjosforpeace 0 Report post Posted May 6, 2005 I just had a strange thought. Giant squid have never once been filmed in their natural habitat. Never seen in action. But someone eventually could...I started thinking about the chance of anyone on a submarine crew ever witnessing a giant squid. They would be the most likely candidate for such an opportunity. I also imagine that they would have some sort of technology that could "see" one. After all, you can use a electronic fish finder to spot a 5 lb. bass, how could you not have something that could spot the movement of a 65 foot creature?I suppose that every bit of info from military submarine missions is considered classified so even if one has been spotted, I doubt it would be spoken of. Especially if a giant squid was seen in waters where submarines we not really supposed to be. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ndhill 0 Report post Posted May 6, 2005 Just because one has never been photographed alive does not mean that one has never been seen. There are many unconfirmed accounts of Giant Squid sightings, most of which sound very exaggerated but who knows?This is one recent account taken from a french fisherman.http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/2661691.stmBefore the existence of the Giant squid was even confirmed, there were multitudes of 'fish' stories told by sailors of the mythical Kraken which bares a great resemblance. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Yamato 0 Report post Posted May 7, 2005 Those photos are awesome. Gosh, those are only ten feet or so long... imagine seeing one that reaches the full speculated size of an actual giant squid. I recall when I was little reading an article on manta rays as big as airplanes. I should go see what I can find on that subject right now, actually. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Glockmeister1405241492 0 Report post Posted May 7, 2005 It's funny that we know more about space than we do about sea creatures.We don't know half the creatures that could be in the sea, by the fact the we may never be able to get there due to technological problems. So all we can do is speculate on their possible size based on the environment that they live in. Thats probably the best measurement. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites