Jumbo Squid Arrive In California

Excuse the departure from ink cartridges, but reports that jumbo squid have invaded California beaches are too exciting to ignore!

According to Mike Krumboltz at Buzz.Yahoo.com, hundreds of uncooked calamari steaks arrived recently at Newport Beach. Weighing up to 60lb and growing 6ft in length, the jumbo squid are being caught by sports fishermen – eager to reel themselves a tentacle.

One such fisherman – the Manager of Newport Landing Sportfishing, Robert Woodbury – spoke to LATimes.com: "When they're lifted out of the water… they become a giant squirt gun. Chances are you're gonna take a faceful or a chestful of water -- and probably ink -- when you pull them out."

According to Woodbury, 400 squid have been caught since Friday – though the largest have evaded capture. Newport locals are planning twilight trips to catch the ink squirters before they migrate.

The jumbo squid have appeared in Newport Beach because the oxygen-deprived zones in which they thrive are spreading. Once found 1000ft below sea level, climate change means shallow waters have recently become hospitable to the squid.

What’s more, the shark and tuna naturally hostile to the squid are absent – thanks to overfishing. The squid are unchallenged for their krill edibles.

Though residents of Newport are benefiting from the jumbo squid’s migration, scientists are concerned. Bruce Robison of Stanford University’s Hopkins Marine Station told the LA Times that "Hake has been clobbered, apparently, by these squid.”