Giant squids are rarely found alive, so two residents were amazed to have a close encounter with one on the coast of Japan.

Giant Squid Swims Near the Surface of Water in Japan

Yosuke Tanaka and his wife, Miki, were scuba diving in a bay off the western coast of Japan when they came face-to-face with an 8-foot giant squid. It was so big that its arms were so thick. The couple was able to record footage of the sea creature.

Tanaka told Newsweek that it was "very rare" to see them alive. The giant squid was reportedly swimming near the surface of the water with lots of seaweed.

According to him, he was excited and terrified at the same time at the sight of the monstrous creature. He said that he was particularly frightened due to its thick arms. He believed that if the giant squid caught him, he would not be able to escape.

In the footage captured by Tanaka, the squid was swimming just below the water line with its long tentacles stretched out.

Tanaka and his wife run a Dive Resort T-style scuba-diving business in Toyooka City, Hyogo Prefecture, in western Japan. In a blog post on their website, Tanaka said a nearby ferryman alerted him about the rare creature.

Tsunemi Kubodera, an honorary researcher at the National Museum of Nature and Science in Tokyo, told NHK news that the squid was likely around 1 or 2 years old.

Jon Ablett, senior curator of mollusks and cephalopods at London's Natural History Museum, told Newsweekly that giant squids could grow up to 39 feet.

 

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Dead Giant Squid Washes Ashore on Japan Coast

As previously mentioned, it's difficult to find a living giant squid. One was found dead on a beach in Tottori Prefecture on the Sea of Japan coast. A man who lives near the beach was extremely surprised at the sight because the squid was reportedly so big.

A resident spotted the squid on a beach in the town of Iwami Sunday morning. The squid was about two meters and 20 centimeters long, NHK World-Japan reported.

The outlet noted that it had been severely damaged and had lost the tentacles used to lure and catch prey. The museum officials believe the squid was dead when it washed ashore.

Giant squids live at a depth of 200 to 1,000 meters, mainly in areas along the Pacific Ocean. They are rarely found in Tottori Prefecture, which faces the Sea of Japan.

Koyano Yuzo, a curator of the San'in Kaigan Geopark Museum of the Earth and Sea, said the squid had travelled to the Sea of Japan, which is rough and has a lower temperature. The said factors likely weakened the deep-sea creature, which eventually did not survive.

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Check out more news and information on the Giant Squid in Science Times.