Giant squids take to California

Published on Tue, Feb 2, 2010 by

Post filled in: Other, World Problems

Yes ladies and gents, giant squids are all over the California beaches. Each of the squids weighs about 40 pounds, but some of them reach 60 and even more than that. I haven’t been able to find out what’s up with them, or why they gathered in such numbers, but according to scientists, this happens almost periodically, though they cannot have a totally satisfying explanation. The most plausible guess is that they’ve been brought there by a warm water current.

humboldt-squid

Anyway, there’s no reason to panic or anything, though you might want to avoid taking a swim this week. However, local anglers are absolutely delighted, catching them by the hundreds, and since things probably won’t change, we’re going to be talking thousands pretty soon; they also sometimes get rolled over on land, there they remain stranded and eventually end up rotting.

The searches for “giant squids” have gone through the roof, so I’m guessing a lot of people are interested or quite nervous about this. The squid in case is the Humboldt squid, also name Jumbo Squid, Jumbo Flying Squid, or Diablo Rojo (which is just Spanish for “red devil”). They rarely weight over 100 pounds, and their average lifespan is at about 1 year. Oh, they’re giant by comparison with most squids, but there others that make it pale in comparison. The biggest squid out there is (arguably) the colossal squid.

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Andrei is no scientist, but from an early age, he has been fascinated by science; that's why he went to college, and signed up for Geophysics. Feeling that there's a huge gap between science and average people, he rallied TP, started ZME Science, and gave it a green twist too.

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  • http://Life805.com Blue

    Being from California, I have, of course notified every Surfer I know and have attached the following in preparation for the Squid attack on my home State:

    ROASTED GIANT CALAMARI

    1 Giant (40 pound) squid or calamari
    2 1/2 tsps. salt
    2 1/2 tsp. freshly ground pepper
    30 garlic cloves, peeled and quartered
    Several bottles of Olive Oil

    Clean squid with the skin left on, tentacles reserved, body left whole. Please make certain squid is dead first.

    Preheat a really big oven to 425 degrees.

    Wash the squid inside and out under cold running water (I recommend a swimming pool. Again, make certain squid is dead prior to attempting this); drain and pat dry using LOTS of paper towels.

    Arrange the squid (body and tentacles), with the side fins spread out, on an exceptionally large oiled baking sheet. I’m thinking about 10’ x 40’ ought to about do it.

    Sprinkle with the olive oil, salt and pepper. Scatter the garlic around the squid.

    Cover tightly with a 12′ x 42′ piece of foil and bake on the top rack of the oven for 1 hour and 40 minutes.

    Remove the foil (Remember to clean and recycle foil. If properly rolled and compressed, it should fill one large recycling dumpster).

    Prick the squid on both sides with a very large fork. You may want to use some sort of gardening implement if a very large fork is not available.

    Roast, uncovered, basting once or twice with the pan juices, for 2 hours and 20 minutes, or until the squid is tender and glazed.

    Slice and serve hot. Serves about 80.

    Seriously however, this is apparently a natural event as you say related to El Nino. We in California are not daunted. We are hopeful that most of these amazing creatures feast in our waters and move on. Not bad growth for a one year old creature. Having talked to our local squid fisherman, I’m thinking night fishing may not be recommended during this period.

  • http://notnirvana.blogspot.com George

    I saw a Discovery Channel or PBS show on the Humboldt Squid from ’08 or ’09 in which a leading researcher ascribed the huge expansion of the squid’s range to over-fishing of the top ocean predators: tuna, billed fishes, and (most of all) sharks. I’m sure climate change has something to do with it as well. Who knows? In 3 or 4 generations, there might be nothing left in the oceans other than cephalapods, jelly-fish, and bottom-feeding crustations.

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