Sea Monsters: Search for the Giant Squid Page #3

presenting to its enemies

a ball of spikes.

The spikes are soft however and

probably are used only for detection.

As varied and mysterious as they are,

squid are short-lived,

fast-growing and very prolific.

Shallow water species gather

in huge numbers to breed.

These tentacled couplings

are anything but random -

as males compete savagely

for females.

Many die naturally soon after mating...

if they don't fall victim to the

countless predators that pursue them.

Squid are among the most numerous

free-swimming creatures in the sea,

and a crucial part of the oceanic

food chain.

Today, they support

a massive fishery.

Some two million metric tons of

squid are consumed annually,

much of it in Japan and the Far East.

Small squid are the most

popular sushi.

But everyone has heard

about the giant squid -

and it's gotten to be like

the "Jolly Green Giant"

for Japanese consumers.

"Hungry? - Nissin Seafood Noodle."

Mexico's Sea of Cortez:

Every few years, squid of unusual

size and ferocity are reported here.

Clyde Roper has come to investigate.

The squid live in dark

underwater canyons.

They rise close to the surface

at night to feed.

They're called Dosidicus gigas -

or the Humboldt squid.

For safety, Roper will deploy

a protective shelter

where he can find refuge

if he needs to.

This time of year, Dosidicus still

have a few feet to grow.

But already, some are six feet

long and,

at times, they feed like starving

piranhas.

Roper has never seen Dosidicus

this big before,

but he's eager to have

the experience.

"They have, a, a, an incredible

reputation and, uh,

many of the fishermen say they

would rather

fall into a uh, into the water with,

uh, sharks

in a feeding frenzy rather than in

a, a feeding frenzy of Humboldt squid

because they have been known

to kill people

when they fall into the water

with them.

"There, here he comes.

"In fact, they are so aggressive

that they become, uh,

they become cannibalistic."

A hungry squid immediately

begins to feed on the one

that is hooked and defenseless.

Dosidicus often prey on one another -

one thing that could account for the

rapid growth of those survive.

Some might consider this an

experience to be avoided;

but big squid like the Humboldt

don't survive in captivity.

For Roper, the chance to see them in

the wild is a priceless opportunity.

Like smaller squid, Dosidicus shows

vivid flashes of color

when aroused or threatened.

Roper wants a close-up look-

not easy

when the object of study can

deploy two tentacles,

eight arms lined with powerful

suckers,

and a razor sharp beak.

And all this is concealed at times

by clouds of dense ink,

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