Monster of the Deep

On a moonless January night in 2003, a sailor named Olivier de Kersauson was racing across the Atlantic Ocean. He was trying to break the record for the fastest sailing voyage around the world. But suddenly, his boat came to a mysterious halt.

In the darkness, de Kersauson’s massive, 110-foot sailboat shook and rattled violently. The crew ran up and down the deck, shining flashlights into the water, trying to figure out what was going on.

Below deck, sailor Didier Ragot peered through a porthole into the ocean.

Then he saw it: an enormous tentacle snaking around the boat.

The creature was like something out of a horror movie. It was about 30 feet long. Its skin glistened. Most shocking were the long, powerful arms. Each was covered in toothy suckers that left impressions on the sides of the boat. The monstrous creature seemed to be wrapping itself around the boat, which creaked and groaned under the strain.

Just when the crew thought the boat would snap into pieces, everything went still.

The creature was gone.

“I’ve been sailing for 40 years, and I’ve always had an answer for everything—for hurricanes and icebergs,” de Kersauson would later say. “But I didn’t have an answer for this. It was terrifying.”

What the crew claimed they saw was a giant squid. But there was only one problem. At the time, people weren’t sure that giant squid were even real.

It was January 2003. The night was dark. A French sailor raced across the Atlantic Ocean. He was trying to break the record for the fastest sailing voyage around the world. But suddenly, his boat stopped.

The boat shook. It rattled. The crew shined flashlights into the water, trying to see what was going on.

Below deck, one man looked through a small round window into the ocean.

Then he saw it: a huge tentacle snaking around the boat.

The creature was like something out of a horror movie. It was about 30 feet long. Its skin shined. Its long arms were covered in toothy suckers. The creature seemed to be wrapping itself around the boat.

The boat creaked. The crew thought it would break.

Then it was over. Everything went still. The creature was gone.

“I’ve been sailing for 40 years, and I’ve always had an answer for everything—for hurricanes and icebergs,” the French sailor said later. “But I didn’t have an answer for this. It was terrifying.”

What the crew claimed they saw was a giant squid. But there was one problem. At the time, people weren’t sure that giant squid were even real.

Sea monsters have captured our imaginations for thousands of years. There are countless movies, novels, and legends about fearsome beasts that attack ships and drag everyone onboard down to a watery death.

Some of the most unbelievable stories have come from sailors. For centuries, men have returned home from long voyages with terrifying tales of enormous squid-like beasts. These creatures, some said, were larger than whales and stronger than elephants. One of the most feared was known as the kraken [KRAH-kuhn], which could supposedly trap a ship by creating a gigantic whirlpool.

Scientists thought these stories were little more than tall tales—or hallucinations brought on by too much time in the sun.

Then, in 1873, a fisherman off the coast of Newfoundland, Canada, returned to shore with a 19-foot tentacle. Scientists realized that the kraken—or something like the kraken—really was out there.

Eventually, scientists guessed that what sailors were probably seeing was a kind of giant squid. Every so often, large squid body parts would wash up on a beach or become tangled in fishing nets. Yet no scientist had actually seen a living giant squid.

In the 1960s, oceanographers developed the technology to explore deeper in the ocean than ever before. Teams of scientists called “squid squads” started combing the high seas in hopes of glimpsing one of these secretive creatures. For them, the giant squid was a symbol of the ocean’s mysteries. (About 80 percent of the ocean remains unexplored today.)

Still, no one could find one.

 Tall Tale? People have told stories about sea monsters for years. There are movies, books, and legends about scary beasts that attack ships and drag people to their deaths.

Some of the wildest stories have come from sailors. For centuries, men have returned home from sea with tales of huge squid-like beasts. These creatures, some said, were larger than whales and stronger than elephants. One of them was known as the kraken [KRAH-kuhn]. The kraken, it was said, could trap a ship by creating a massive whirlpool.

Scientists thought these stories were just tall tales. Or maybe they were hallucinations brought on by too much time in the sun.

Then, in 1873, a fisherman near Canada returned to shore with a 19-foot tentacle. Experts realized that the kraken, or something like it, really was out there.

Experts guessed that what sailors were seeing was a kind of giant squid. Sometimes large squid body parts would wash up on a beach or get caught in fishing nets. Yet no scientist had ever seen a living giant squid.

In the 1960s, oceanographers invented ways to explore deeper in the ocean than ever before. Teams of scientists called “squid squads” searched the sea for one of these creatures. For them, the giant squid reminded them of the ocean’s mysteries. (About four-fifths of the ocean remains unexplored today.)

Still, no one could find one.

One of the most passionate squid hunters is marine biologist Steve O’Shea. Step into O’Shea’s office or home, and you might think you’ve walked into a mad scientist’s lab. Jars of squid parts line his shelves; unblinking squid eyes stare out at you. In his garage, he keeps boxes with squid carcasses that have washed up on beaches around the world.

Over the years, O’Shea has managed to unlock a few of the many mysteries surrounding these creatures. For one thing, giant squid are indeed giant. They can weigh up to 1,000 pounds and grow to be almost 60 feet long.

O’Shea also knows why giant squid are so hard to find. They live thousands of feet below the surface of the ocean, far deeper than any human can go. They have enormous eyes—larger than those of any other animal—which enable them to flee at the first sign of trouble. And thanks to their highly developed nerves, they can react in an instant, darting away from a net or camera.

The closest O’Shea has ever come to capturing a live giant squid was in 2001, when he caught 17 babies—each about the size of a grasshopper. His plan was to raise them in captivity. But by the time he reached shore, all the babies were dead.

Crying, O’Shea pulled the corpses out of the tank he had been keeping them in. He later learned that the tank was made of a material that is toxic to squid.

Steve O’Shea is a marine biologist. Step into his office or home, and you might think you’re in a mad scientist’s lab. Jars of squid parts line his shelves.

O’Shea has unlocked a few of the mysteries about these creatures. For one thing, giant squid really are giant. They can weigh up to 1,000 pounds. They can grow to be almost 60 feet long

O’Shea also knows why giant squid are so hard to find. They live thousands of feet below the surface of the ocean, deeper than any human can go. Their huge eyes, larger than those of any other animal, allow them to flee at the first sign of trouble. And with their highly developed nerves, they can quickly move away from a net or a camera.

O’Shea wanted to catch a live giant squid. In 2001, he caught 17 babies. Each was about the size of a grasshopper. He planned to raise them in captivity. But by the time he reached shore, all the babies were dead.

Crying, O’Shea pulled the dead squid out of the tank he had been keeping them in. He later learned that the tank was made of a material that is poison to squid.

In 2004, researchers finally had a breakthrough. Two Japanese scientists were tracking a pod of sperm whales off the coast of Japan. They had a hunch the whales might lead them to a squid’s lair.

They were right.

After days of searching with an underwater camera, they caught sight of something stuck under a large rock: a creature the size of a school bus. Its eyes were as big as basketballs. It had eight flapping arms and two long, sinewy tentacles. It thrashed so wildly to break free that one tentacle broke off in the struggle. Before it got away, the scientists snapped more than 500 photos. They also hauled the 18-foot tentacle onto their boat.

In 2005, the same team found another giant squid 3,000 feet below the surface— and managed to film it with a robotic camera. In 2012, another Japanese team captured footage of a giant squid. But to this day, no one has been able to catch a living specimen to study.

Some wonder whether that’s even possible, or if the giant squid will remain a mystery to humans forever.

In 2004, there was a breakthrough. Two Japanese scientists were tracking a pod of whales off the coast of Japan. They thought the whales might lead them to a squid.

They were right.

For days, the scientists searched with an underwater camera. Then they saw something stuck under a large rock. It was a creature the size of a school bus. Its eyes were as big as basketballs. It had eight flapping arms and two long, sinewy tentacles. It thrashed so wildly to break free that one tentacle broke off. Before it got away, the scientists took photos. They also hauled the 18-foot tentacle onto their boat.

In 2005, the same team found another giant squid. It was 3,000 feet below the surface. They filmed it with a robotic camera. In 2012, another Japanese team filmed a giant squid too. But to this day, no one has been able to catch a living one to study.

Some wonder if that’s even possible. Maybe the giant squid will always be a mystery to humans.