tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6903316070344664352.post9134117024945628825..comments2024-03-21T07:21:10.901-04:00Comments on The Lord Geekington: How big is the Giant Squid anyways?Cameron McCormickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08521083680718243221noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6903316070344664352.post-37061483904434421592011-06-27T14:17:46.186-04:002011-06-27T14:17:46.186-04:00If you're interested Anon, here's the orig...If you're interested Anon, here's the original description of the Thimble Tickle from Verrill's <i>North American Cephalopods</i>:<br /><br />The capture of this specimen has been graphically described by<br />Mr. Harvey, in a letter to the Boston Traveller, of Jan. 30, 1879.<br />" On the 2d day of November last, Stephen Sherring, a fisherman<br />residing in Thimble Tickle, not far from the locality where the other<br />devil-fish [No. 19], was cast ashore, was out in a boat with two other men; not far from the shore they observed some bulky object, and, supposing it might be part of a wreck, they rowed toward it, and, to their horror, found themselves close to a huge fish, having large<br />glassy eyes, which was making desperate efforts to escape, and churning the water into foam by the motion of its immense arms and tail. It was aground and the tide was ebbing. From the funnel at the<br />back of its head it was ejecting large volumes of water, this being its method of moving backward, the force of the stream, by the reaction of the surrounding medium, driving it in the required direction. At times the water from the siphon was black as ink."<br /><br />" Finding the monster partially disabled, the fishermen plucked up<br />courage and ventured near enough to throw the grapnel of their<br />boat, the sharp flukes of which, having barbed points, sunk into the<br />soft body. To the grapnel they had attached a stout rope which they had carried ashore and tied to a tree, so as to prevent the fish<br />from going out with the tide. It was a happy thought, for the devilfish found himself eftectually moored to the shore. His struggles<br />were terrific as he flung his ten arms about in dying agony. The<br />fishermen took care to keep a respectful distance from the long tentacles, which ever and anon darted out like great tongues IVom the central mass. At length it became exhausted, and as the water receded it expired.<br /><br />"The fishermen, alas! knowing no better, proceeded to conv-ert it<br />into dog's meat. It was a splendid specimen—the largest yet taken<br />—the body measuring 20 feet from the beak to the extremity of<br />the tail. It was thus exactly double the size of the New York specimen, and five feet longer than the one taken by Budgell. The circumference of the body is not stated, but one of the arms measured 35 feet. This must have been a tentacle."<br /><br />---<br /><br />But I agree, this is so much larger than any well-documented specimen that physical proof is needed to confirm it was anywhere near the reported size.Cameron McCormickhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08521083680718243221noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6903316070344664352.post-52467748091078727672011-06-27T12:35:17.333-04:002011-06-27T12:35:17.333-04:00Honestly, I believe that the Thimble Tickle squid ...Honestly, I believe that the Thimble Tickle squid - if it existed at all - could have been 20 feet - if that is the length including the eight arms. It was stated as being 35 feet total length, and that correlates 'somewhat' well with a ~20 foot mantle/head/arms length. Or maybe it was really a colossal squid? 20 feet length excluding the two longer tentacles, and 35 including the tentacles?<br /><br />Just imagine if they had to cut up a twenty foot squid body into dog fodder. A daunting task, if you ask me.<br /><br />But, in reality I simply suspect that they lied, they're fishermen, after all. It's just that their tall tale became publicly known, unlike most fishermen's tall tales. You're not a 'real' fisherman unless you have couple of good and entertaining tall tales to tell.<br /><br />After all, where's the beak? No beak = no squid.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6903316070344664352.post-55216922783867381792007-03-11T19:05:00.000-04:002007-03-11T19:05:00.000-04:00That would explain all of the pictures of octopi a...That would explain all of the pictures of octopi and squids being left around the house...Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com