Not an inkling where it came from: Squid with 16ft tentacle washed up

A giant squid more than 6ft 6in long with a 16-foot tentacle has washed up on a beach in New Zealand. The creature was discovered in South Bay area of Kaikoura, a town on the South Island renowned for its marine life. The town’s marine centre and aquarium posted pictures of the squid on its Facebook page, as well as details of its size.

The mantle itself is over 2m long with a 19cm eye diameter! The longest tentacle is just over 5m! What a beast!

Facebook status from Kaikoura aquarium

One shows a man lying down next to the squid, which emphasises just how big it is. The centre said it has moved the squid to its aquarium where it is frozen and on display. They added that the creature would have been a lot bigger had it not been ravaged by birds before it was recovered.

There’s no indication of how it died - the stomach was full so it wasn’t hungry.

Megan Lewis, Kaikoura aquarium

Odd News Giant squid