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Sunday, May 18, 2025

Giant squid washes up on Cape Town beach

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Researchers at Iziko Museum have collected samples of a giant squid that washed up on a Cape Town beach, earlier this week. This however is not an unusual occurrence. Seven months ago, another squid had washed up on the beach in Kommetjie.

Where did it come from?

Meanwhile, the City of Cape Town’s coastal manager, Gregg Oelofse says the cause for the squid to wash up on shore is unclear at this stage.

At the same time, the executive of strategic projects at the Two Oceans Aquarium Education Foundation, Dr Judy Mann says the giant sea creature is a relative of the squid Capetonians would most likely recognise as calamari.

They love the deep ocean:

According to Wikipedia, the giant squid is a species of deep-ocean dwelling squid. It can grow to an enormous size. Females can grow to between 12 to 13 metres and males, up to 10 metres.

WATCH: A giant squid in its natural environment

 

Mann said, these animals live in a water environment, and that water helps support their body weight. That’s why we see such large animals living in oceans.

Photo received via Whatsapp.
What does the giant squid look like?
These animals have soft bodies and 10 tentacles. Two of these tentacles are longer than the others and are used to grasp their prey.
Because they live so deep in the ocean, they have good eyesight and their senses are well-developed, due to their living conditions.
It’s believed these giant creatures are not among the largest in the ocean. They are even the prey of giant sperm whales.
The creature can be found in all of the oceans in the world. Closer to home, it is found in the South Atlantic around southern Africa. It is rare to sight them in tropical and polar latitudes.

Top beaches in the city

Merentia Van Der Vent
Merentia Van Der Vent
Merentia joined the media world in 1996 and in 2001, she took her first steps in the broadcasting world. In her free time, she likes to go on adventures in the city. She also likes to learn new dances, not that she is any good at that.

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