Couple come face-to-face with rare giant 8ft squid while diving off Japan coast

21 January 2023 , 09:52

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Couple come face-to-face with rare giant 8ft squid while diving off Japan coast

Underwater footage has revealed the terrifying moment two divers came face-to-face with a ginormous squid.

Yosuke Tanaka and his wife Miki were diving off the western coast of Japan on January 6 when the 8ft monster spooked them.

Mr Tanaka wrote about the ordeal on his blog Takeno Diving and explained that he was first contacted by a ferryman friend who had spotted the creature.

The ferryman rang him to say: "There is a strange big squid, do you want to go see it?"

He said it was a "once in a lifetime" experience to Newsweek, but it was quite scary because he felt that if they were caught in its "very thick arms, " they would not escape it.

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The ferryman rang him to say: "There is a strange big squid, do you want to go see it?" (NHK)

Honorary researcher Kubodera Tsunemi of the National Science Museum told NHK broadcasting that the squid was probably one or two years old.

There are reports of female squid growing up to 60ft long, although no specimens of that length have ever been documented.

Giant squid do live in the waters around Japan and occasionally wash ashore. But seeing them alive in the wild remains relatively rare.

"We didn't see the kinds of agile movements that many fish and marine creatures normally show," he said. "Its tentacles and fins were moving very slowly", Mr Tanaka told AFP.

Giant squid only live about five years in the wild (NHK)

The squid appeared weak and moved only "very sluggishly," Tanaka said and pieces of its skin were peeling off from its trunk.

He continued: "It was very exciting. I think there is nothing rarer than this. I have heard not a lot is known about this creature. I'd be happy if this helps us learn more."

Giant squid only live about five years in the wild, according to the Smithsonian Institution and their so-called elusive nature means little is known about their daily lives or mating habits.

They say the squid was about 2.5 metres long (NHK)

It has been said squid eat one another and they are also often found in the stomachs of sperm whales.

Sarah McAnulty, a squid biologist, told Live Science: "You can tell this squid is approaching the end of its life by looking at its skin.

"A healthy giant squid should have smooth shiny skin and be kinda red. This poor thing has been through it!"

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Mr Tanaka said he swam near the squid for about a half-hour but it was trying to move away from him.

The couple are scuba-diving instructors based in the region.

Rachel Hagan