A 23-feet giant Squid was the center of attraction in Kaikoura Marine Centre and Aquarium after the sea creature was found in New Zealand coast on Tuesday. It has been a puzzle for the marine experts how the female giant Squid was washed ashore.
According to Huffington Post, the giant Squid has no signs of death. Marine experts are saying that the giant Squid must have come from not distant location for it to be washed ashore. It was unknown how old the squid was and how it landed in the South Island coast.
"She was still fresh and with all her parts including her eyes still intact," Megan Lewis, a marine biologist who owns the aquarium that collected the squid said. "No markings on the outside, full stomach, no foreign objects."
Before the birds will feast on the giant Squid that has mantle that measures over 6.6 feet long, the massive sea creature was taken by a staff to Kaikoura Marine Centre and Aquarium. Samples of the giant Squid were also submitted to University of Auckland and University of Otago for further study, the ABC News reported.
The giant Squid is currently on display in the aquarium in freezer with glass windows so that it can be viewed by the public. According to National Post, the rare species is more massive than the giant Squid found in 2013.
The Aquarium stated that the sea creature has larger suckers and mantle than the previous giant Squid found dead when it was attacked by a larger one. Its eyes measures 16 cm in diameter.
It is still being decided what will be the fate of the giant Squid. However, a more probability is that it could also be dissected in public just like that of the last massive squid.
Giant Squid washed ashore was a rare happening as these creatures usually lies in the ocean's deepest depth. It was only in 2004 that the Japanese researchers were able to capture images of the giant Squid underneath the ocean's surface.
A photo of a 6-foot tall Kaikoura Marine Centre and Aquarium employee, Jay Lewis was taken while laying down next to the giant squid to see how massive it is.
