Aggressive Jumbo Squid 'Roughing Up' Divers Off San Diego

The jumbo squid I mentioned last week whose populations have been aggravated (by earthquake, or not) in waters off San Diego, are intriguing divers:

"The so-called Humboldt squid, which can grow up to 100 pounds, are native to the deep waters off Mexico, where they have been known to attack humans and are nicknamed 'red devils' for their rust-red coloring and mean streak. Those who dive with them there chum the water with bait and sometimes get in a metal cage or wear chain mail to avoid being lashed by tentacles."

The squid are also aggressive: "Roger Uzun, a veteran scuba diver and amateur underwater videographer, swam with a swarm of the creatures for about 20 minutes and said they appeared more curious than aggressive. The animals taste with their tentacles, he said, and seemed to be touching him and his wet suit to determine if he was edible. 'As soon as we went underwater and turned on the video lights, there they were. They would ram into you, they kept hitting the back of my head,' he said."

Video of the squid in action, AFTER THE JUMP...

Massive Shark Washes Ashore in New York

A 24-foot Basking Shark washed ashore near Babylon, New York on Long Island earlier today. Basking Sharks, which have monstrous gaping mouths that open while they swim and filter the ocean for plankton, are not meat-eaters. This one was alive when it came ashore but died shortly thereafter, say police.

Watch video, AFTER THE JUMP...

Here's what they look like swimming.

Giant Squids Besiege San Diego Beaches After Earthquake

Dozens of giant squid began appearing on La Jolla, California beaches on Saturday about an hour after an earthquake centered 19 miles offshore shook the San Diego suburb. Nobody can figure out why, or if it was just a coincidence. Love the perspective in the shot above.

Watch it, AFTER THE JUMP...

Search On for Giant Worm in Idaho

And Kevin Bacon's not involved:

"The worm is said to secrete a lily-like smell when handled, spit at predators, and live in burrows 15 feet deep. There have only been four sightings. But scientists hope to change that this summer with researchers scouring the Palouse regoin in hopes of finally finding the giant earthworm. Conservationists also want the Obama administration to protect it as an endangered species, even though there is scant scientific information about its existence...[Joyce] Johnson-Maynard and her team of worm hunters are working this summer at a university research farm and using three different methods to try and find a living worm. One involves just digging a hole and sifting the soil through a strainer, looking for any worms that can be studied. The second involves old-fashioned chemical warfare, pouring a liquid solution of vinegar and mustard onto the ground, irritating worms until they come to the surface. The third method is new to this search, using electricity to shock worms to the surface.

Relationship to Kevin Bacon, AFTER THE JUMP...

Don't Touch the Puss

There are many extraordinary things about this Puss caterpillar, but perhaps the most extraordinary is that it has almost 4 million views on YouTube.

Don't touch it, AFTER THE JUMP...

Ancient Nest Discovered

Ornithologists have discovered a 2,500-year-old Gyrfalcon nest in a cliff in Greenland:

"The nesting site is still continually used by gyrfalcons, the world's largest species of falcon, and is the oldest raptor nest ever recorded.Three other nests, each over 1,000 years old, have also been found, one of which contains feathers from a bird that lived more than 600 years ago."

The thousand-year-old one appears to be still in use as well:

Previously...
Hawk Swoops into Birdie's Restaurant in NYC [tr]