Skip navigation
Collections and Research areas

Colossal Squid


A team of scientists have been thawing and examining giant and colossal squid between 28 – 30 April.

The resources below will be updated progressively with contents that have been posted on the blog.

Lectures recordings

The audio recording of Science Express is available:
http://www.tepapa.govt.nz
/ScienceExpress/ScienceExpress.May.2008.Colossal.Squid.mp3

The other lectures have been filmed. The videos will be available later. Some copyright issues need to be sorted too, so this might take a little longer than expected.

Webcast retransmission

A retransmission of the last hours of the webcast are available here:
http://www.R2.co.nz/20080427/squid-1.asx

Squid blogging

Check out the stories and early findings on the blog as it was blogged live. read more>


Discovery Channel Te Papa is delighted to acknowledge the support of the Discovery Channel in the preservation of the colossal squid specimen. Their support will also include the entire thaw and examination process being filmed by Natural History New Zealand for a Discovery Channel in-depth documentary programme to be released worldwide in late 2008.



Find out how this huge squid was caught, and what we know of its life history. Discover how we are going to examine and display this extremely rare creature – and how we are going to thaw this enormous squid ice block!

Visit the photo gallery, where there are photos of Te Papa's other colossal squid, a young female caught in 2003, and there will be photos of this colossal squid in the future.


Colossal squid, giant squid and octopus

What's the difference?

 

Biology of the colossal squid

What do we know about the life and habits of the colossal squid? How common are they?


How it was caught

How did the colossal squid make its way from the Ross Sea to Te Papa?

 

Te Papa's specimen

How big is it? What's going to happen to it? Will it be on display for the public? Includes the schedule for the dissection.


Photo gallery

These photos are of the colossal squid caught in 2003.