Friday Squid Blogging: How to Capture a Giant Squid

Method 2: Offer Squid a Tasty Treat
If your preferred squid looks hungry, try luring it with a delicious oil tanker. During the course of the 1930s, the Norwegian tanker Brunswick was attacked not once, not twice, but three times by giant squid. Metal boats don't sound especially appetizing, but scientists think squid mistake the large, gray objects for whales—a decidedly yummy entree giant squid have been known to dine upon. Unfortunately, it's more difficult to get a good grip on the steel hull of a tanker, than on the pliable hide of a whale. Whenever a squid tried to put the Brunswick in a choke hold, its tentacles would slip, and the squid would end up making a fatal slide into the ship's propellers.

Tags: squid

Posted on May 22, 2009 at 4:00 PM • 10 Comments

Comments

Boadicea • May 22, 2009 6:17 PM

In the 1930's that Norwegian vessel may have smelt of whale blubber. Squid are sensitive to such things.

Goatrider • May 22, 2009 9:22 PM

Maybe it was in love?

Adron • May 24, 2009 2:53 PM

Those ships have some brutal self defense: death by propeller just doesn't sound very pleasant.

Anonymous • May 24, 2009 3:35 PM

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Archie Leach • May 24, 2009 5:37 PM

fake squid pic
http://imgur.com/jhmqx.jpg

Hey Nony Mouse • May 24, 2009 5:52 PM

@ Boadicea,

"In the 1930's that Norwegian vessel may have smelt of whale blubber."

I've been on a few Norwegian oil vessels in my time and believe me when I say that 60 years later some smell like it's the same blubber from the 1930's festering away...

Speaking of whales,

@ Adron,

"death by propeller just doesn't sound very pleasant."

You may have seen the news a few weeks back of a British and French nuclear subs having a little kiss and a bump beneath the waves.

Well acording to a friend of mine who is Russian and had the misfortune to do a little time in a tin can, a Russian nuclear sub snuck up on a whale and gave it on heck of an unpleasant surprise. The resulting damage put the sub back to port, whale meat on the menu and the whales jaw bone on the officers mess wall.

And apparently it is not unknown for squid of various sizes to get tangled up with towed sonar arrays either.

Anonymous • May 26, 2009 3:57 AM

And we used to think that those mediaeval tales of ships being attacked by the kraken were legends...

Davi Ottenheimer • May 26, 2009 9:16 AM

The method doesn't actually capture the squid, or am I missing something?

Anonymous • May 26, 2009 10:29 AM

Couldn't they just electrify the hull?

(To-do #14, combine squids and movie plot security, check...)

Clive Robinson • May 26, 2009 1:59 PM

@ Anonymous,

"Couldn't they just electrify the hull?"

Err no that would be worse than three qiant squid attacks...