Nature Rare footage shows giant squid off the coast of Japan

[thomas]

Earlier this month, Yosuke Tanaka and his wife Miki captured a rare video and photos of a 2.5-meter giant squid swimming in the waters off Japan's west coast. The Tanakas, operators of a diving business in Toyooka in Hyogo, were alerted to the squid by a fishing equipment vendor who had spotted it in a bay. The couple took their boat out to reach the creature as it floated near a rocky shoreline.

The sheer size of the animal and its enormous eyes were striking, and Tanaka said he imagined the power squid use to tackle whales, which are among their main predators. "I could see its tentacles moving. I thought it would be dangerous to be grabbed hard by them and taken off somewhere," he said. Giant squid are known to live in the waters around Japan and occasionally wash ashore. But seeing them alive in the wild remains relatively rare. The squid appeared weak and moved only "very sluggishly," Tanaka said. Pieces of its skin were peeling off from its trunk.

Japan divers capture rare footage of live giant squid

Giant squid are known to live in the waters around Japan, and occasionally wash ashore.

www.japantimes.co.jp

 

[thomas]

Asahi posted a longer version of the original version. A fascinating creature indeed.

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Divers capture rare footage of giant squid off coast of Hyogo | The Asahi Shimbun: Breaking News, Japan News and Analysis