Check this out>>>>>>>

I'm not sure if I believe the guy or not. Seems a bit over dramatic.
I was bitten by a Damselfish once. Didn't hurt though.

That is one wild story. If it is true, I will have to watch for it to come out. I have neverf heard of such.

"Dam Selfish of it eh!"

I reckon if they can do so much damage to a Sperm Whale a bit of plastic armour ain't gonna do a whole lot!

I'm in the corner.

My wife thought the Canadian fishing movie was real!

This site/story has been circulated for several years now -- never did see it on TV . . .

It's real (ask Dr. Wood about this one) but mostly it's a super-hyped up ad for the video housing.

Cheers
James

I asked Jim Abernethy about it, and he promptly called Steve Drogin, who was out there not long ago. He replied that they are "mean, nasty, and they eat each other." he also said that he personally has not been attacked, but other people have.

The L & M kit did not receive too good a write up though!

"Based on my field experience, the Light & Motion video systems failed to live up to the challenge. They look great and have lots of features, but just didn’t hold up".

Thats interesting, I wonder if Craig has any experience with L & M.

As regards the report, difficult to believe in parts really, but with photo & video evidence its dificult to challenge.

Mark

I think to get some of the shots a remote camera was lowered to great depth - About a kilometre!

WOW....The logistics of that must have been enormous. Back home we would call that P****n in the wind.

The squid are attracted to the lights and the smell of the finest John West fish paste!

Simple then. Dangle a Q3 & tin of paste on a 1km length rope & hit the record button. Bob you're a Genius!!

I just tried it in my Koi pool: It works!


Look through the back issues of National Geographic. There was an interesting article about these squid & and the Sperm Whales. It documented the areas where they frequent and the depths involved - Just off Port Hardy!

I do vaguely remember that article. Port Hardy huh. I have a Q3. Now where can I get a reel with 1000m of line....hmmmmm

Guys,

These are not "the" giant squid. These are "Humboldt Squid" which are different. They only get a to a meter or two long as opposed to 30 or so!

With that said, we used to catch them on shark fishing trips and YES they are mean buggers! Tasty though.

The real giant squid tastes like $*#t - because of it's ammonia based flesh.

Cheers
James

I know these aren't the same size as the one's you typically see on a night dive, but this quote has me thinking of Gulliver and the Lilliputian's...



All I can picture is a whole bunch of little tiny squid screaming in little elf voices "get him!!!" and attacking some poor unsuspecting diver and dragging him down to the sand...

Whew, been a long week...

"Cough - Cough!"

I worked as a deckhand on a sportfishing boat. We never kept the sharks - catch and release...

The squid are another story. Sharks are puppy dogs in comparison.

Cheers
James

LOL! Nice back step!

Relative to the giant squid, they do commit to pain and potential death. If you remember the Howard Hall incident in the Sea Of Cortez in the early 1990's, you will know of a great danger these animals represent. Some of his crew almost died because, during a night dive, the giant squid were attracted to their video lights. Regulators were ripped from the diver and one sustained a gash on his neck that kept him out for good. I spoke with Howard personally and he just told me that it was an experience he doesn't want have again.

It sounds like some list members are having fun with this kind of situation but please be realistic and respect the life down there. Have fun and be fun, but be safe too.

Joe

Today, Jan 22, I was in contact with Howard Hall who shared with me his amazing Humbolt Squid story that appeared in Ocean Realm in 1989. I have posted it at http://www.joebelanger.com/mugged.html if anyone is interested. And thatks a bunch to Howard for emailing me the story as he wrote it. I have dived with Howard since this incident and have other information relavent to hthis encounter. The guy who went to bed and got cut never dived again after that night, and he was a veteran. That will tell you how scarey it must have been. He has since passed away.

It is a great read.

Joe

Joe,

I'll re-read the article link but I recall it was Alex Kerstitch, and I think he was professor at the University of Arizona.....

He was a great stock photo shooter and sold a lot of images seen in today's textbooks, especially from Baja....I even have his Sea of Cortez Marine Invertebrates book he sent me and personally signed Aug. 31, 1989.

Didn't know he passed away....

Davidthe Haas
davidhaas@sbcglobal.net

There was a well-documented account published a few years back, people were doing u/w video w/o cages or other special protection, several divers were attacked, very serious situations, but nobody was lost. Some incredible photographs.

I understand that cages are now SOP for diving with Humboldt squids, but the cage has to be designed very differently than a shark cage. Call it ... "Calamari's revenge."

EDIT: Probably was the Howard Hall - Ocean Realm story posted just above, which popped up while I was tapping out this posting.

Hi David,

When I talked to Howard over a cup of coffee before a dive, he was telling me more about the story. He never said a name, just that the guy who went to bed died. So it's probably a good summation that it happened. I'd be happy to contact Howard if you want, but don't know how much he wants to share to a forum though since I am sure it was a personal loss as well.

Joe

Hi Robert,

At the time it was not with cages and seeing Howards pics from post dives it is still not with cages. They in fact had good luck and used no cages. But he is quick to say that we should be careful and plan. There are others who have also dived with the squid and used extreme protection.

Happy diving.

Joe

Joe,

Thanks for the conversation details with Howard. No further discussion with Howard is necessary....

Bob and others.....All you need to know about trying to dive and get photos of Humboldt squid can be viewed in the National Geographic special Bob Cranston shot a couple of years ago. I think it's titled "Red Devils". He did most of the dives without protection but he's recorded telling the surface cameraman (as in speaking to the audience) "I react immediately if they even touch me! I want them to think I'm a big, bad ass creature down there and they better think twice about messing with me!"

This is especially funny because when I had a group diving with Blue Sharks out at San Clemente' in 1996 Bob and I were outside the cage with my customers inside. There I was with this top notch guy and we're both tracking Blue sharks in our viewfinders with our backs against the cage. As we both worked around I accidentally bumped Bob's fin which resulted in him violently reacting and kicking until he saw it was me! Boy was I embarrassed while trying to show this world class cinematographer I could swim with the "big dogs"

Back on the boat I apologized and Bob fluffed it off, telling me, "Dave, I was just glad it was you and not a shark trying a test bite on my leg!!!! "

Sooooo, I'd have to think twice about doing any Humboldt squid dives wihtout a chain mail suit...When I dived in one on the California same trip I couldn't even get Blue shark to bite me I figured I'd seen the other guides do it, and this was my once in a lifetime chance to see what a shark bite felt like protected by the suit....

Maybe some day

David Haas
Haas Photography Inc.
[.sig deleted -editor]

Squid are washing up on the shore here in southern California again...3/20/05. Here are a few shots I took the last time they washed up (2 months ago). You can see their relative size with the kid in the picture.

Joe

All shot with a Nikon 10.5 fisheye with strobe mounted on tripod...manual settings on camera and strobe (for those who are interested).

Joe

I was thinking that I saw the strobe in the upper right corner - peeking in...:-) Cool shots, would be "fun" to be in the water w/ these guys.

Cheers
James

Hey there is a D in Humboldt. As i live there .
These critters can pack a mean bite. Mark

I don't think thats real at all !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

well... you can not think all you want. these are real animals.

The second shot needs the caption:
"Objects are Closer Than They Appear"

Here's a link to a Nat Geographic story:

National Geographic: Researchers Shed Light...

Jack