BrainStuff Classics: Could a Giant Squid Take Down a Submarine?

a ship or submarine? Hey Brainstuff, Lauren vogelbomb here. About three hundred different species of squid have been swimming in the world's oceans for more than four hundred million years. There are three species that grow to massive proportions, the giant, the colossal, and the jumbo, also known as the Humboldt squid. While many squid are just a few inches long, giant

and colossal squid are enormous. These two types are estimated to reach from thirty five to sixty feet in length that's about ten to eighteen meters including their body and tentacles. That's larger than a full length school bus, and they can weigh up to a thousand pounds or about four hundred and fifty kilograms. Their protruding eyes are the size of volleyballs. Humboldt squid are the smallest of the three only about six feet that's two meters long and one

hundred pounds or forty five kilograms. But how did these marine animals get so big? The most common explanation is a phenomenon called deep sea gigantism. The theory suggests that over time, small shallow water creatures evolved to live at vast deep sea levels by getting bigger, likely due to a combination of food supply and the increased size of the predators at great depths. In shallow waters, it's advantageous

to stay small because there's limited food. But at the extreme depths, where massive squid are thought to live between about six hundred and fifty and two thousand, six hundred feet that's about two hundred to seven hundred meters below the surface, bigger creatures have size and endurance on their side when traveling longer distances in search of food. When you're a small fish in a large pond, you're a snack. But if you're the bigh you have your choice of snacks.

But is the whole ocean there buffet, including human, ships and submarines. Sea creatures feature prominently in seafairer tales around the world dating back to ancient times. In Greek and Roman mythology, there's tales of great battles between man and marine monsters capable of pulling ships underwater. Twelfth century Norwegian sailors told stories of sea creatures they had seen. By the eighteenth century, the creatures of Norwegian legend had grown

to the likes of islands with arms. It's thought that giant, colossal and Humboldt squid are aggressive, opportunistic creatures that prey on anything that comes their way, from easy meals of fish and shrimp to a more sporting hunt of other large cephalopods and whales. The Humboldts specifically are known to be fierce cannibalistic fighters. Mexican fishermen have nicknamed them dieblos rojos or red devils because of their bodies, red color

and their hostile nature. And A squid of colossal dimensions featured in Jules Vern's eighteen sixty nine novel twenty thousand Leagues under the Sea, said to be a fictionalized account of a real encounter between a French Navy ship and a giant squid. Whether the original account is entirely fictional or not, the novel peaked the public's interest in deep sea gigantism and marine attacks, and certainly isn't the only

account of squid attacking ships. In the nineteen thirties, the Brunswick, the Royal Norwegian Navy's fifteen thousand ton tanker, was attacked three separate times by different giant squid. Each account tells of a squid pursuing the tanker and striking it. Suddenly, tentacles wrapped around the hull, fortunately for the sailors, yet unfortunately for the squid. The steel of the ship proved either too slick or too hard for the tentacles too

grapple and pierce. Each squid that tried to land the Brunswick ended up perishing after sliding into the tanker's propellers. As recently as two thousand and three, a giant squid attempted to take down a boat, this time a French yacht sailing ironically in the Jewels Verne Trophy, a prize for the fastest global circumnavigation by a yacht. Luckily, the twenty six foot long that's about eight meters squid gave

up before its demise or that of the boat. Some scientists are skeptical that squid are dangerous to humans or watercraft, suggesting that there are species with a fish based diet and therefore have no need to attack humans or the steel of a ship. But whether they're actively pursuing our vessels or not, no gigantic squid has yet taken down a modern ship, but it hasn't been for the lack of trying. Today's episode is based on the article could

a squid take down a submarine? On HowStuffWorks dot com written by Maria or Marky. Brainstuff is production of iHeartRadio in partnership withhoustuffworks dot Com and is produced by Tyler Claying. Four more podcasts my heart Radio, visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.