A man spotted an unusual sight on his morning stroll along the beach when an incredible giant squid was washed up on the shore.
Staff from the Kaikoura Marine Centre and Aquarium moved the squid to safety before the birds swooped down and feasted on its enormous body lying on the sand at South Bay on the South Island of New Zealand on Wednesday.
It was not yet known what the deep sea creature weighs but if the following measurements are anything to go by it is safe to presume it would be seriously hefty: the mantle is more than two metres long with a 19cm eye diameter and the longest tentacle is just over five metres.
Staff from the Kaikoura Marine Centre and Aquarium moved the squid to safety before the birds swooped down and feasted on its enormous body.
The excited aquarium staff posted the dramatic images on its Facebook page on Tuesday afternoon.
'A GIANT SQUID WASHED UP ON THE BEACH AT SOUTH BAY TODAY!, the post said.
'Before the birds got to it - we got help to move it to the aquarium where it is safe inside a freezer with glass windows so you can see it - on display until we can do more with it.'
Then after describing its length the staff member exclaimed: 'What a beast!'.
Bruce Bennett discovered the squid on his daily walk with his dog at 8.30am on Wednesday and figured the creature must have washed up on Tuesday night - going by the stench and the fact that he didn't see it that day.
Mr Bennett said it was the first time he had ever seen a giant squid washed ashore on the beach.
'I wish it had been a lump of (whale) ambergris (grey amber used in perfumes),' he told the Marlborough Express.
'I've found old fishing floats and bits and pieces of other stuff, never any ambergris.'
Music: On The Ground by Kevin MacLeod
Source : Daily Mail , Kaikoura Marine Centre and Aquarium
Staff from the Kaikoura Marine Centre and Aquarium moved the squid to safety before the birds swooped down and feasted on its enormous body lying on the sand at South Bay on the South Island of New Zealand on Wednesday.
It was not yet known what the deep sea creature weighs but if the following measurements are anything to go by it is safe to presume it would be seriously hefty: the mantle is more than two metres long with a 19cm eye diameter and the longest tentacle is just over five metres.
Staff from the Kaikoura Marine Centre and Aquarium moved the squid to safety before the birds swooped down and feasted on its enormous body.
The excited aquarium staff posted the dramatic images on its Facebook page on Tuesday afternoon.
'A GIANT SQUID WASHED UP ON THE BEACH AT SOUTH BAY TODAY!, the post said.
'Before the birds got to it - we got help to move it to the aquarium where it is safe inside a freezer with glass windows so you can see it - on display until we can do more with it.'
Then after describing its length the staff member exclaimed: 'What a beast!'.
Bruce Bennett discovered the squid on his daily walk with his dog at 8.30am on Wednesday and figured the creature must have washed up on Tuesday night - going by the stench and the fact that he didn't see it that day.
Mr Bennett said it was the first time he had ever seen a giant squid washed ashore on the beach.
'I wish it had been a lump of (whale) ambergris (grey amber used in perfumes),' he told the Marlborough Express.
'I've found old fishing floats and bits and pieces of other stuff, never any ambergris.'
Music: On The Ground by Kevin MacLeod
Source : Daily Mail , Kaikoura Marine Centre and Aquarium
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