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The last time any sizable die-off of Humboldt squid occurred on Oregon beaches was 2004, when about 2,000 squid died here. Click on the photos above for a larger image.
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Photo courtesy of Louis D. Zeidberg and Bruce H. Robison of the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (2007 National Academy of Sciences).
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Squid have been washing up on the Oregon coast recently. It happens only every once in a while (the last time was 2004), so if you have a chance to head to the central coast around Florence, you might see a few on the beach. Take a good look, and snap a few photos, but take care not to handle or remove any of the carcasses. And wash up afterward, just in case.
As usual, know the tide schedule, don't turn your back on the ocean, and watch for logs and other debris on the beach and in the water.
Some squid facts:
- This species is known as Humboldt squid, Jumbo squid, red rockets, red devils, and Diablos Rojos.
- The squid are normally found in Southern California and Mexico, but followed the Humboldt current north in search of food such as herring.
- Humboldt squid live at depths of 660 to 2,300 feet in the eastern Pacific, ranging from Tierra del Fuego north to California. Schools of squid surface at night to hunt lanternfish, shrimp, mollusks, and other cephalopods. They are also known to cannibalize other jumbo squid that have been maimed or captured in nets.
- Jumbo squid can reach up to seven feet and weigh as much as 110 pounds and can be very aggressive.
- The average life span of a Humboldt squid is about one year.
Humbolt squid have been moving north over the last decade. Reasons for this could be El Nino, large scale changes to ocean temperatures and currents, overfishing of their predators (sharks and sailfish), which may allow for range expansion and increase populations.
Why do they die and wash up in noticeable numbers every once in a while? It's not clear. Could be:
- Sudden, cold upwellings of the Pacific can trap the squid, and separate them from their food.
- Humbolt squid die after spawning and this could be the cause of the die off.
No one really knows the answer.
Humboldt squid hunt in schools containing as many as 1,200 individuals. They swim at speeds from three to 15 miles an hour and can launch themselves from the water into the air to escape predators.
Humboldt's are heavily fished off the coast of Mexico, but because ecologists know little about the size of their population, it has yet to be determined whether this practice is sustainable.
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