Tales of the deep: the giant squid
by carter madison

have you ever wondered what swims in the deepest parts of the world's oceans? well, we just got a better idea about one mysterious creature of the deep ocean: the giant squid.

just recently a japanese film crew managed to film a giant squid swimming in its natural habitat. they managed to lure it to their cameras with bait after many hours of waiting and searching two thousand feet below the surface of the pacific ocean.

the giant squid is truly a giant. it can grow up to 50 feet in length, with tentacles making up most of this great length. for comparison, 50 feet is about as long as most school buses. imagine meeting something the size of your school bus in the deep dark ocean and you might get an idea what it is like to meet a squid.

over the centuries, many squid specimens have been found, but it's hard to get an idea of how the squid lives because it typically cruises in the deepest depths of the ocean. we know that the giant squid's main predator is the sperm whale. we know this because bits of giant squid have been found in the stomachs of sperm whales. we also know they feed on deep-sea fish and other squid. we know this because of all the giant squid that have washed ashore.

the giant squid lives in all of the world's oceans, though few are found in the tropics or the arctic waters. as a result, stories of giant squid were told among sailors for hundreds of years. these sightings must have been frightening and may be the source for the legend of the kraken, a sea monster reputed to be as large as an island and capable of eating an entire ship.

which detail from the story suggests that giant squid may not be the source of the legend of the kraken?

giant squid are peace-loving vegetarians who are not known to upset fishing vessels.
giant squid live so far below the surface they are not seen by many people.
giant squid prey on sperm whales, not humans, so they don't destroy many ships.
giant squid are only about 10 ft. long, while the kraken is thought to be island-sized.