This giant squid washes up dead on the South African coast.
Walkers spotted the giant squid on Scarborough Beach and reported the find to a local community group.
Tim Dee was bird watching in the area and decided to check out the tentacles.
On Twitter, Dee shares pictures and a video of the squid showing the characteristic large eye.
A marine biologist is also on site and is exposing the animal’s beak, which resembles that of a parrot.
Squids use their beaks to kill fish and other sea creatures when they hunt in the deep sea.
“It’s an amazing creature. I knew that they are rarely seen alive because they live far out in very deep water. And I knew they had the biggest eye in the animal kingdom.” – Tim Dee
The IZIKO Museum in Cape Town also came and collected samples for their marine invertebrate collection.
Little is known about the life of giant squids in the deep sea. It is believed that they orientate themselves primarily on the basis of their well-developed sea assets.
Examination of their stomach revealed that they feed on fish and also squid of their own species. Researchers also assume that sperm whales are the only predators of giant squid. This is shown by sucker scars and the remains of giant squid in the whales’ stomachs.