Colossal Squid at the Te Papa Museum

The world's only complete colossal squid specimen on display

Category Watery Wonders, Fascinating Fauna, Unique Collections

Image of Colossal Squid at the Te Papa Museum located in Wellington, New Zealand Image of Colossal Squid at the Te Papa Museum located in Wellington, New Zealand Image of Colossal Squid at the Te Papa Museum located in Wellington, New Zealand | The Colossal Squid Exhibit Image of Colossal Squid at the Te Papa Museum located in Wellington, New Zealand | The Colossal Squid in its display tank Image of Colossal Squid at the Te Papa Museum located in Wellington, New Zealand | The Colossal Squid beak (left) and the Colossal Squid eggs (right) Image of Colossal Squid at the Te Papa Museum located in Wellington, New Zealand | Rotating hook from the tentacle of the Colossal Squid (left); part of a Colossal Squid tentacle (right) Image of Colossal Squid at the Te Papa Museum located in Wellington, New Zealand | The left eye of the Colossal Squid (left); a Colossal Squid beak (right)
Watery Wonders http://atlasobscura.com/category/natural-wonders/watery-wonders Fascinating Fauna http://atlasobscura.com/category/natural-wonders/fascinating-fauna Unique Collections http://atlasobscura.com/category/museums-and-collections/unique-collections

Te Papa is New Zealand's national museum, and attempts to give an overview of the nation's art, history, peoples, and wildlife. Among the wildlife that Te Papa currently displays is the world's only preserved colossal squid specimen.

The San Aspiring, a New Zealand fishing boat, caught the colossal squid in February, 2007.

"The crew were fishing with longlines – single lines with many baited hooks – for a large species of fish, the Antarctic toothfish. But on one line they caught more than they bargained for! There was a toothfish on the line, but eating the fish was a colossal squid – nearly 500 kg of it.

"It was only just alive, and the crew thought it would almost certainly die if they released it. They lowered a cargo net, manoeuvred the squid into it, and managed to get it on board and into the ship’s freezer."

The colossal squid is now believed to be the largest squid species in the world. Larger and heavier than a giant squid, equipped with limbs covered in teeth and hooks, a gigantic razor sharp beak, and the largest eyes in the world, the colossal squid goes to show that "sea monsters" may exist after all.

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  • Hours The Museum is open every day of the year, including public holidays. Hours: 10am?6pm, except on Thursdays, open 10am?9pm.
  • Website Museum of New Zealand: Te Papa Tongarewa
  • Address 55 Cable St, PO Box 467, Wellington, New Zealand
  • Cost Free
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Comments

  • & Anonymous October 10, 2009
    I bookmarked this link. Thank you for good job!,
  • Lockeblade& Lockeblade July 26, 2009
    I'd love to see a photo of someone standing near it to get an idea of the scale.
  • & Anonymous July 3, 2009
    Wow.. that's so huge. <A HREF="http://www.magnusadventures.com/">New Zealand Fishing Trip</A>
  • Sam E& Sam E June 23, 2009
    Is this the same squid that was on exhibition at the Melbourne aquarium? If so, it is indeed colossal.
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