Thousands of Jumbo Squid spotted near Long Beach

Fisherman have discovered thousands of Jumbo Squid off the Southern California coast this week. The site mongabay.com tells us:

Thousands of Jumbo squid (Dosidicus gigas) squid are appearing off the coast of Southern California, according to published reports.

Ventura County fishermen have caught hundreds of squid in recent days, according to the Associated Press.

The cephalopods, which can measure 6-feet long and weigh 100 pounds (40 kg) (though usually smaller), appear periodically in California waters. The species, also known as the Humboldt squid, is commonly found from Peru to Baja California but seems to be expanding its range according to researchers tracking the beasts. Hundreds washed up on San Diego and Orange county beaches in 2002 and 2005, a sign that the species may be on their way to becoming year-around residents according to the Los Angeles Times. No one is sure what causes Jumbo squid to end up on beaches. Jumbo squid invasion in California

While not as large as Colossal Squid these giants can grow upwards of 43ft and with a diameter over 1 foot possess the largest eyes of any living thing.

Interesting Links:

Deeper Blue: Dancing With Daemons
Large squid lights up for attack
National Geographic – Giant Squid Photo Gallery
Smithsonian Institute: In Search of Giant Squid

Colossal Squid Links:

Just for Fun:

Squid.us, Laughing Squid‘s Fun Squid Blog
Squid Cartoon
Squid Wallet

About John Konrad

Captain John Konrad is the founder and CEO of gCaptain and author of the book Fire On The Horizon. He is licensed to captain the world's largest ships and has sailed from ports around the world. John has built some of the world's most advanced ships and managed billion-dollar offshore construction projects in some of the world's harshest marine environments. John is a distinguished alumnus of New York Maritime College.