A little marine science for you

Edith Widder: How we found the giant squid

Edith Widder gives a TED talk about how they took pictures of the giant squid.  It is a pretty interesting story.  Apparently, if you act like a distressed jelly fish, you can attract giant squid, not because the squid are interested in you, but because they are interested in what might be eating you.

Once, when we were sailing in the Indian Ocean, Monika and I found a school of ~2' squid under our sailboat.  It was pretty spectacular and spooky at the same time.  They have a very alien look.. In fact, they kind of make me think of the movie Alien, but maybe that is just me.  I really can't imagine what it would be like to encounter one on the scale of the one in the video above.

Mike deGruy: Hooked by an octopus

Mike deGruy had a bid hand in making the expedition above possible, but unfortunately he died in a helicopter crash before the project got its results.  His TED talk about octopi is quite inspirational.