Humbolt Squid story...true or false?

[Mike]

Ok, I 'm not sure if this is the right place for this but I really do want an answer...
Last October my hubby and I were diving in Cabo Pulmo and a guy told the following story: he was diving with a DM (don' remember where) and they came upon a giant squid. As they were watching it, it grabbed the DM and dragged her down 130ft before she managed to break free. Well this story totally freaked me out... Is this possible? Or was he just pulling my leg...?

There is at least one dive shop down there that speciallizes in these squid dives. They have videos and lots of information. The Humbolt's aggressiveness is an issue. There are precautions to be taken. Take a look at the plastic 'armour' the divers wear on their arms and chest to protect them, and the deep scratches on those pieces from the squid beaks.

There is a lot of study going on with the Humbolts and how they hunt and just how smart they are, and wether they hunt as a pack and do thing intentionally.

I'd do the dive, but I'd also be fully aware of what I was getting into and dive with somebody who really knows his stuff when it comes to these creatures.

 

[diversteve]

Scott Cassell had a similar experience: Squidly

A large Humboldt had come up on me from behind and was trying to chew into my neck. I struggled to hit it with my camera, weakening my grip in the process. As I struggled to right myself and get my dive gear back in order, I accidentally let the camera go. Since the sea bottom was always more than 1,000 feet below me, I kept the camera system a pound positively buoyant so that if I ever dropped it, it would float. That’s exactly what happened. The squid had dragged me down nearly 75 feet before I dropped my camera,

 

[drbill]

Discovery and Nat Geo have both had stories on the Humboldt squid and the fishing of them in the Sea of Cortez waters. . . . filmed at - San Carlos, my favorite close-by dive location!

When the Humboldts come up to feed, and they are hooked by the fishermen, the fishermen clean them and throw the entrails overboard. That attracts more Humboldts, and more are hooked, and more entrails . . . you see the cycle?

When they are in a feeding frenzy, they will attack everything. If a fisherman falls in the water, there's a damn good chance of him being swarmed and attacked. The humboldt also attack the camera and everything else. There is a story of a fisherman dying that way, but it was a story.

That said, a Humboldt, singular, coming out of no where to attack a diver and "drag her away" . . . Nope. Just not seeing it.

BTW - that video above was done during the fishing time, when the squid were in a frenzy. The squid didn't exactly pull him anywhere, did it? As for the bite on the hand - that's like offering a finger to a parrot. :doh:

Have to agree that many of the incidents of extreme aggressiveness by Humboldt squid occur during periods when they are being fished and there is food in the water (including their own entrails). They apparently go into a real feeding frenzy. I included the information about the snorkelers and SCUBA divers out off Catalina's West End where there were no aggressive interactions whatsoever. I think their behavior is quite different under normal conditions.

 

[bleeb]

Possible? Possible?? Anything is possible . . .

Jax, did you have anything useful to say, or are you just posting lots of image junk and trying to make lots of noise, which just discourages other people from wanting to read or participate in a thread?

 

[Doc]

Or was he just pulling my leg...?

Humboldt Squids usually grab the head.



Just be thankful Damselfish aren't any bigger,



and I would worry more about Titan Triggerfish~ they carry grudges.

 

[Mike]

That said, a Humboldt, singular, coming out of no where to attack a diver and "drag her away" . . . Nope. Just not seeing it.

The 'dragging' down to 130 ft is more likely, just the results of losing concentration on her buoyancy due to task loading while dealing with the squid all over her arms. By the time she got the thing off her she noticed she wasn't paying close attention to her depth and had let herself sink.

 

[k8chen]

Thanks for all the responses...that said, I almost wish I hadn't asked! I think I am gonna have the willies for a few nights...

 

[Scuba_Noob]

They're incredibly strong. We ran into a school of them one night. I'd hook up and they would take off, there was no stopping them on their run. If I clamped down the drag they would snap the line. This was on tackle that routinely landed 70-80 pound tuna. We finally got one aboard. One of the guys had a bow, set up with a reel for fishing. He nailed it and we pulled it in little by little using a cleat. We gaffed it, and brought it aboard. It was 5-6 ft, tip of tentacles to end of body. I wouldn't want one grabbing me and deciding to head down

Though I'd never want to experience any attacks with the Humboldt squid, I would happily partake in eating one if you catch it.

Calamari for days.

 

[Jax]

You see the Humboldt from time to time in the Sea of Cortez around San Pedro island, especially during night dives. Of course, there is no fishing / feeding frenzy going on around the dive sites. The Humboldts have not been aggressive to any divers that I know of. We've had a condo down there for a few years.

However, many Humboldt feeding frenzies have been filmed near San Carlos.


But don't let local knowledge deflect your FUD frenzy.

 

[Wookie]

Sadly for the nay sayers, I have second hand knowledge of an attack and dragging down my Michelle Hall while Howard was filming for some movie or another. Michelle was filming Howard filming the squid when she was taken from behind and dragged deeper. It seems that they were at 70 feet at the time, and she may have been dragged to 130+. I know where to look it up, and I'll be right back....

I can't find the citation, but I'll ask Michelle. She may have told me the story.