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Subject: Monster Quest Giant Squid Footage From: Kraken posted Wed, Nov 14 2007, 1:35pm  I watched the program last night with low expectations however I was pleasantly surprised that they did capture images of what appears to my untrained eye as a quite large squid. The technique they used for capturing those scant images was impressive in itself (attached camera to a Humboldt squid and released it to retreat into the depths). I enjoyed the shots of the Humboldt Squid (Dosidicus gigas) shown close-up but for a few brief seconds something else came into view. It certainly gave the impression of large size and really didn't look like another Humboldt to me. I'm certainly no expert but if I had to wager a guess would say it may indeed possibly have been an Architeuthis dux but it was so fleeting that it's really hard to say. I will concede that it certainly appears large however I am extremely uncomfortable with the technicians estimate of 108 feet. He was making certain assumptions but it certainly gave the impression of very large animal. Skeptical as I am, it would be grand to actually have a hundred foot squid exist. I am curious as to other's take on it. I have enjoyed the first two episodes of this show and will be anxious to see the remaining series. Subject: Re: Monster Quest Giant Squid Footage From: Mr. Mulligrubs posted Wed, Nov 14 2007, 2:04pm  I agree with you Kraken, it definitely looked large to me. The technician said that with this camera model and lens, something that distance away (i.e. the squid) would actually appear smaller. That was interesting. I'd really like to hear more on the subject from other scientists and technicians. Subject: Re: Monster Quest Giant Squid Footage From: Lovecraft posted Wed, Nov 14 2007, 5:31pm  Did they bring up the possibility of Onykia robusta (="Moroteuthis)? It is roughly similar looking to Dosidicus and could create the impression of being quite large - it has a mantle possibly around 2 meters long (vs. up to 2.25 m for Architeuthis) although appears to be proportionally shorter. Subject: Re: Monster Quest Giant Squid Footage From: Mr. Mulligrubs posted Wed, Nov 14 2007, 6:42pm  They discussed Architeuthis and the theoretical giant Humboldt squid, and also brought up the colossal squid earlier in the show. I think it's just a matter of time until they catch some proof on film, but I don't think this is it. It's definitely better than a guy in a monkey suit though. I would like to know if the technical camera expert's opinion is confirmed by others in the field. Subject: Re: Monster Quest Giant Squid Footage From: Cherokee posted Wed, Nov 14 2007, 8:57pm  I also had the impression that it was a very large squid. Wow. I hope they attempt to retry this experiment, and some way to actually measure the beasties down there. They were rushed because of the approaching storm, and I think that they would have gotten better images if they had more time. I think that it was cool that they got something on the first try. I also like the explanation that the scientist had as to why the larger squid didn't come to the surface. The smaller squid come topside to feed in the nutrient rich waters, and later descend into deeper waters, where the big boys are. The big guys wait for the smaller ones to come into the deep where they catch them and eat them. Why bother to go hunting for dinner, when dinner comes to you. The life of a squid is insane. Can you imagine always worrying about your fellow squid cannibalising you. Always on your guard. Exhuasting. I also thought it was cool to watch them constantly 'morph' into different colors at a high rate of speed. Fascinating critters. Subject: Re: Monster Quest Giant Squid Footage From: FoxEspiriʇu posted Thu, Nov 15 2007, 4:32am  Yeah, I saw the ending of the show and thought it was totally cool how they got that footage. Subject: Re: Monster Quest Giant Squid Footage From: Road Less Traveled posted Sun, Nov 18 2007, 6:47am  They were missing one necessary variable. If you have the camera aperture size and focal length, you still need to know the distance to the animal to estimate the size. They didn't know that variable, so the size estimate was useless. It's straight forward math IF you know all 3 variables, but just speculation of you don't. It works the other way too. If you know the animal size, camera aperture size, and focal length, you can work out the distance from the camera. Subject: Re: Monster Quest Giant Squid Footage From: Science Guy Jeff posted Thu, Dec 27 2007, 6:38am  While I generally like the show, I am always suspect of these, "Oops, a storm came up" or "We just ran out of time when things started looking up" scenarios. Usually, that's the end and we hear nothing else. I question the timing of these investigators. Hurricanes are fairly well predicted a week or two ahead of time. I realize that the entire trip probably had to be planned out with reservations so far in advance (from my own field research, I know) but it somewhat casts a doubt. Could they not stay until AFTER the hurricane and try again? I hope that there is follow up with this one. Drop a submersible down there. I would also like to see MQ go after the giant octopus from St. Augustine. I also agree with previous posts concerning using the video to determine size. To get a more accurate size reading, you need something for scale. Perhaps they should sacrifice a humbolt, hollow it out for cameras and suspend a reflective disc fifty or so feet on a tether to provide a known quantity for scale. Subject: Re: Monster Quest Giant Squid Footage From: MrMike posted Thu, Jan 3 2008, 6:15am  I like for Monster Quest to investigate rumors that Saddam Hussein genetically engineered giant scorpions and snakes to use againt the American forces during the 1991 persian Gulf War and the 2003 Operation Iraqi Freedom war.

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