Giant Red Devil Squid Aggressively Attacks, Bites Diver [Watch]

A massive aggressive squid was caught on camera attacking a diver. The encounter was caught on camera.

Giant Squid Attacks a Diver

In an incredible video, a BBC diver almost lost his hand to a giant, violent Humboldt squid. A giant squid "pinches" Steve Backshall's arm and tears his wet suit with a violent bite. He initially maintains his calmness but quickly loses it when he realizes the threat.

Backshall has already interacted with one of these squids similarly. Initially, the trapped cephalopod was composed but finally lost control due to the host's continuous actions, so it bit him, seemingly informing Backshall that he had overstayed his welcome, A-Z Animals reported.

Fortunately, Backshall wasn't seriously injured, and the squid reacted normally when another human pulled it away from Backshall.

Several netizens reacted to the video shared on TikTok. The responses were mixed, with many finding the sight scary.

One said it's among the reasons they are scared of the sea. Another added that there was no way she would ever dive in the ocean because she wasn't sure what kind of animals were there.

The size of the squid received mixed reactions from online users. Some said it wasn't that big, and many argued it was big compared to others of its kind.

Many also said it was a Humboldt squid, also known as jumbo squid, jumbo flying squid, and red devil squid.

Based on the comments, the clip was from Backhall's show "Deadly 60." For the program, he travels around the globe to search for 60 of the world's deadliest animals.

@auzziefails Imagine getting bit by one of them #giant#squid#attack#crazy#fyp#diver ♬ original sound - Flynnwebb

What Is a Humboldt Squid?

According to American Oceans, humboldt squids go their names after Alexander von Humboldt, a German geographer, and explorer in Central and South America during the 18th and 19th centuries.

Humboldt squid is the largest member of the Ommastrephid squid family. They can grow up to eight feet long and weigh up to 100 pounds, according to A-Z Animals.

This silent sea beast is infamous for "flying" out of the water to escape its hunters. Hence, they are also known as "the flying squid."

Because they consume the smaller members of their species when there is food scarcity, Humboldt squids have a cannibalistic side. Other squid species rarely exhibit this.

They reportedly communicate by visual cues using different color patterns and lights. They flash red and white lights when aggravated while hunting their prey or captured by fishermen, earning them the name "diablo rojo" in Spanish, which translates to "red devil."

The moniker "red devil squid" is intimidating for a reason. With their razor-sharp beaks tearing their food apart, they may be somewhat frightening to their prey. These vicious mollusks, which are also known as enormous squid due to their size, are potent predators with some horrifying body parts, according to Gareth Stevens.

Red devil squid is equipped with an eye the size of a pool ball, eight arms with 200 or more suckers each, and two extremely long barbed tentacles to ready them for the hunt in the deep, dark ocean.

The Humboldt squid can be interested and appear friendly despite its propensity to be antagonistic and aggressive against the unknown, especially light sources.

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