Posted in Nature Study

Scientists in NZ are today, dissecting a rare colossal squid which was caught last year (Feb.07) in the Ross Sea.  The entire event is also being filmed for a future Discovery Channel episode.  The boys and I have become totally engrossed with watching the thawing and dissection of this massive, amazing creature that is nearly half a ton!  It is totally fascinating.  We are especially enthralled with reading the accompanying blog because so many of the questions we are asking are answered there.  I guess living in the southwest desert, one can only become entranced with the fact that a creature like this could live in the depths of the ocean, which btw my kids have never seen lol or tasted.  I only remember being in the ocean - with a life vest on - ONCE and I was in sheer terror thinking about how far down the inky black water went below me and what crazy thing was ready to nibble at me.  Never mind that I am absolutely terrified of the water when I can touch the bottom with my feet -- yep! Desert rat through and through LOL Watching this dissection made me wonder how many more creatures are in the deep that we have never even seen.  Definitely something out of the science fiction books or at least out of 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea.

You can visit this museum link & watch the dissection here: http://tinyurl.com/4ay2jc

Fact sheet on squids:  http://www.tonmo.com/science/public/giantsquidfacts.php

AND http://www.corvettemuseum.com/deep_creatures/squid.htm

Coloring page:  http://www.angelfire.com/scifi2/gothykredd/sea_17.gif

AND with a whale http://www.corvettemuseum.com/deep_creatures/color-2.htm

To Label http://www.allaboutnature.com/subjects/invertebrates/squid/label/

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