A massive ten-foot giant squid has washed ashore in western Japan, giving an ultra-rare glimpse of one of the biggest cephalopods present in the deep sea and likely the first time a live specimen has ever been taken into captivity.
According to the Japanese newspaper The Mainichi, the squid was surprisingly alive. It was transported to a local Aquarium in the nearby city of Sakai.
It’s unclear if the squid is still alive — but given environmental factors, it seems unlikely.
Deep-sea research vessels have seen giant squids multiple times in the past. Last year, a camera platform called “Medusa” recorded amazing footage of the elusive giants.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) also managed to get footage of a juvenile giant back in 2019. The agency estimates it was between ten to 12 feet long.
We still aren’t entirely sure where they roam, but carcasses have been found in all the Earth’s oceans.
They are also believed to have the largest eyes in the entire animal kingdom, measuring ten inches across. This enables them to see the darkest surroundings.
The largest squid to have ever been recorded by scientists measured almost 43 feet. One corpse discovered in 1887 may have even been nearly sixty feet long.
