Kiwi Finds 23-Foot Long 'Giant Squid' Washed Up On A South Island Beach

A local aquarium in New Zealand recently reported that a giant washed-up squid has been found on a beach at South Bay in Kaikoura. Reportedly, a man—who was out with his dog for a stroll at the beach—accidentally stumbled upon the marine creature with long tentacles.

The marine creature's dorsal body, known as the mantle, is more than 6 feet (2 meters) long. In addition, the authorities at the aquarium found that the squid has long tentacles, with the longest one measuring over 16 feet (5 meters). The diameter of each eye was found to be around 19 cms.

Thankfully, the officials from the Kaikoura Marine Centre and Aquarium claimed the body of the massive cephalopod before the scavenger birds located the squid. The huge squid has currently been kept on display in the frozen form in the aquarium. Kaikoura, the town where the creature was found, is popular for its richness in marine life.

"Before the birds got to it - we got help to move it to the aquarium where it is safe inside a freezer with glass windows so you can see it - on display until we can do more with it,” said one of the posts on the aquarium's official Facebook page.

Bruce Bennet claimed that he bumped into the squid along the shore of the beach at around 8:30 am on 13 May, 2015. Megan Lewis, the owner of the aquarium identified the creature as a female squid, however, the age of the organism has not been determined yet. The marine biologist further added on to reveal that the creature grow speedily, however, they do not live for long.

"The majority of its weight is in the head, which is in pristine condition. There's no indication of how it died - the stomach was full so it wasn't hungry," said Lewis.

The researchers at the Universities in Otaga and Auckland are planning to study the washed up squid. The team hopes to unleash the characteristics of the terrifying marine creature that swim deep in the ocean.

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