Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

RARE PHOTOS: Giant Squid Eaten by Sperm Whale
nationalgeographic ^ | October 29, 2009--

Posted on 11/02/2009 1:17:43 PM PST by JoeProBono

Carrying the remains of a roughly 30-foot (9-meter) giant squid in her jaws, a female sperm whale, with a calf at her side, swims near the surface off Japan's Bonin Islands (map)in the northwestern Pacific. Taken on October 15, this and other "absolutely sensational" new pictures offer rare proof of the sperm whale's taste for giant squid, said giant squid expert Steve O'Shea of the Auckland University of Technology in New Zealand.

The pictures may also reveal that adult sperm whales, which grow up to 59 feet (18 meters) long, use pieces of their prizes to teach youngsters how to catch their own, O'Shea told National Geographic News.

The group of five adults and one calf kept diving deep in unison, photographer Tony Wu told the Daily Mail. "It seemed as if the adult whales were trying to teach the baby to dive and also to eat squid," he said.


TOPICS: Outdoors; Pets/Animals; Weird Stuff
KEYWORDS: calamari; cryptozoology; giantsquid; jpb; kraken; squid; whale
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-4041-52 next last

An 11.5-foot-long (3.5-meter-long) leftover, this giant squid arm was recovered at the surface from another sperm whale hunt on October 14, 2009, in the same place as feeding frenzy photographed underwater the next day.


1 posted on 11/02/2009 1:17:44 PM PST by JoeProBono
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: JoeProBono; Slings and Arrows

Cal Amari? Now seating Cal Amari...


2 posted on 11/02/2009 1:18:58 PM PST by a fool in paradise (I refuse to "reduce my carbon footprint" all while Lenin remains in an airconditioned shrine)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: JoeProBono

It would be fatal to a diver if that squid got a liplock on him with those arms!


3 posted on 11/02/2009 1:20:39 PM PST by rahbert
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: JoeProBono

It would be fatal to a diver if that squid got a liplock on him with those arms!


4 posted on 11/02/2009 1:20:54 PM PST by rahbert
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: JoeProBono

Amazing.


5 posted on 11/02/2009 1:21:14 PM PST by FTJM
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: JoeProBono

That looks nasty, but I am somewhat dyslexic. I thought you had a picture of Barney Frank I was going to have to report to Jim Rob.


6 posted on 11/02/2009 1:21:47 PM PST by MIchaelTArchangel (DEFUND THE FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE NOW!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: JoeProBono

7 posted on 11/02/2009 1:24:08 PM PST by BGHater ("real price of every thing ... is the toil and trouble of acquiring it")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: JoeProBono

8 posted on 11/02/2009 1:24:12 PM PST by MaxMax (Obama can't play in the Olympic reindeer games)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: JoeProBono

Squid. It’s what’s for supper.


9 posted on 11/02/2009 1:25:01 PM PST by Billthedrill
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Billthedrill

Not so ‘giant’ when compared to the whale.


10 posted on 11/02/2009 1:27:38 PM PST by FlashBack ('0'bama: "Katrina on a Global Level")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 9 | View Replies]

To: JoeProBono

Oh No - it’s Squidward!


11 posted on 11/02/2009 1:27:55 PM PST by 2 Kool 2 Be 4-Gotten
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: JoeProBono

Mammals - 1, Cephalopods - 0. Top o’ da food chain, Baby!


12 posted on 11/02/2009 1:28:52 PM PST by Lou Budvis (Reagan and Thatcher didn't win by running to the middle.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: 2 Kool 2 Be 4-Gotten

13 posted on 11/02/2009 1:29:04 PM PST by 2 Kool 2 Be 4-Gotten
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 11 | View Replies]

To: Billthedrill

giant squid probably tougher than my boots.


14 posted on 11/02/2009 1:29:23 PM PST by VAFreedom
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 9 | View Replies]

To: Shimmer1

ping


15 posted on 11/02/2009 1:30:03 PM PST by null and void (We are now in day 284 of our national holiday from reality. - 0bama really isn't one of US.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 8 | View Replies]

To: JoeProBono

For later.


16 posted on 11/02/2009 1:31:37 PM PST by Codeflier (We just had 8 more years of a democrat president in office, we already know what happens!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: 2 Kool 2 Be 4-Gotten


17 posted on 11/02/2009 1:33:24 PM PST by JoeProBono (A closed mouth gathers no feet)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 13 | View Replies]

To: JoeProBono

Kewl.


18 posted on 11/02/2009 1:34:03 PM PST by b4its2late (Before you can control a horse, you have to break it. Sound familiar?)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: rahbert


19 posted on 11/02/2009 1:35:46 PM PST by JoeProBono (A closed mouth gathers no feet)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: rahbert

From what I understand, no diver could survive going deep enough to be in the giant squid’s natural habitat.


20 posted on 11/02/2009 1:36:20 PM PST by envisio
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-4041-52 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson