13-Foot Giant Squid Washes Ashore on the Coast of New Zealand, 'Once-In-A-Lifetime' Opportunity Leaves Tourists in Awe

A group of tourists was shocked as they came across the remains of a giant squid on a beach in a unique sighting.

The giant squid was spotted on a Farewell Spit Tours trip along Farewell Spit in Golden Bay, New Zealand. The tour guide, Anton Donaldson, received a text message from his colleague that the tour group would encounter something exciting as he drove the tour bus to the beach.

The group spotted a massive creature lying on the sand. Donaldson told the New Zealand Herald that they all got excited as he told the tourists about the squid.

He described the opportunity as "once-in-a-lifetime," which is not common to find on any beaches. Donaldson added that it was a good thing that they were able to be there at the right time before the cadaver washed up on the beach.

The Rare Squid Sighting

According to him, the giant squid they found on the shore was 13-foot long. The giant squid is known to be the second-largest mollusk, next to the colossal squid that can grow up to 46 feet long and weigh up to 1100 pounds, according to Oceana.

The mollusk can be found worldwide and can rarely be seen alive on the coast. They usually swim in the depth of an ocean, about 1,000 to 3,300 feet below the surface.

The giant squid hadn't been photographed alive not until 2005, and it was only captured on film in 2006 on the Ogasawara Island in Japan. According to the Two Oceans Aquarium in South Africa, 677 species of giant squid have been sighted up to the present time.

Donaldson said "the tentacles on it were chewed back," as they inspected the giant squid's remains. They also noticed that a portion of its back part had been eaten by other marine creatures, such as small sharks or fish. He then claimed that the giant squid might have been floating in the ocean's vastness and was washed up on the shore for some time.

Giant Squid's Nature

National Geographic said that the giant squid has the largest eyes of any animal. It is comparable to an average dinner plate, 10 inches in diameter.

It is thought that those giant eyes have evolved to help the squid catch its prey under low lighting. The giant squid's eyes scrape off bioluminescent light in the dark waters below 1,000 feet.

Sperm whales are the most common predator of the giant squids. They are also often found within the digestive system of pilot whales, southern sleeper sharks, and sometimes in killer whales. The giant squid is also often eaten by other giant squids.

Anton Donaldson said in his statement that something unique is a special thing to experience and added that he felt some sadness about the creature.

"A magnificent example of a large sea creature that lives at the bottom of the ocean unfortunately on the beach, not alive anymore," Donaldson said.

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