Odd News

Giant squid excite anglers in California

(China Daily)
Updated: 2010-02-03 08:44

NEWPORT BEACH, California: Giant squid weighing up to 60 pounds (27 kilograms) have invaded the California waters off Newport Beach and are being caught by sport fishermen by the hundreds.

Giant squid excite anglers in California

Frankie Duenas, from Anaheim, Calif. holding a giant squid he caught off the coast of Newport Beach. [Agencies]

The squid showed up last week and anglers started booking twilight fishing trips over the weekend to catch them.

The animals weigh between 9 and 18 kilograms (20 and 40 pounds), but a few fishermen have reeled in 27 kg creatures.

The Humboldt squid is also called the jumbo squid or jumbo flying squid and squirts ink to protect itself.

They can grow up to 45 kilograms (100 pounds) and 1.8 meters (6 feet) long and follow food sources. The squid have also recently been spotted off San Diego, Oregon and Washington, all on the US West Coast.

Robert Woodbury with Newport Landing Sportfishing told The Orange County Register that anglers in the Southern California county have caught more than 400 of the big squid since Friday night.