Yes, Virginia, There is a Giant Squid

Where would one go to find a Giant Squid? They could be found anywhere in any ocean. Scientists do know that they live below 3,300 ft. or 1,000 meters because large squid have been brought up in the nets of deep-sea trawlers. Beaks and pieces of Giant Squid are often found in sperm whale stomachs, so perhaps off the coast of New Zealand would be a good place to look since the sperm whale hunts there. New Zealand waters may be a breeding ground for the Giant Squid as well.

In 1861, the French steamer Electon traveled off the coast of the Canary Islands when the crew spotted what looked like a sea monster with arms and a tail. Full out war was declared on the monster with cannons and muskets fired, then harpoons thrown. They managed to get a rope on its tail, but the flesh of the creature could not withstand the pressure of the rope which cut through it. They took the tail back to the French Consul at Tenerife and a report eventually found its way to the French Academy of Sciences where one member declared this was against the laws of nature.

Perhaps the most spectacular of ferocious battles in the sea are between the contenders of Giant Squid vs. whales. Four-inch sucker marks have been observed scaring the hide of whales from these encounters. In 1965, a Soviet whaler happened upon a squid and 40-ton whale battle which ended in a draw. Both creatures died, the whale from the tentacles' strangle-hold around its throat and the squid from being cut in half by the whale.

In the 1930's, a Royal Norwegian Naval tanker, the Brunswick, was attacked three times by a Giant Squid. Like a dog chasing a car, the squid pulled alongside of the ship, matching its speed. Suddenly, giant tentacles grabbed the ship's hull, encircling it, but unable to get a good grip on the steel surface, they would slide off. The squid eventually fell into the ship's propellers and died.

One of the most disturbing reports about Giant Squid comes from an unconfirmed story that happened during WWII. A British Admiralty trawler was anchored off the Maldive Islands in the Indian Ocean. A member of the crew by the name of A. G. Starkey was on deck alone when he saw something in the water lying alongside the ship. A huge unblinking eye gradually surfaced and

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