Nov 26, 2025
Nov 19, 2025
The Kraken Is Back... Again
- BoatBlurb Contributor
- 58 minutes ago
- 4 min read
In 2023, we witnessed first hand how real the Kraken truly is.
And by Kraken, we mean the giant squid, aka Architeuthis dux, a deep-ocean dwelling behemoth that can reach sizes up to 10-13 metres (that's 33-43 feet, friends). It can also take up that kind of space in a captain's psyche.
In other words, the legend of the deep sea monster, a concept at the heart of nautical lore for centuries is, in fact, a real animal. It serves as proof that being superstitious about ocean exploration is perfectly justifiable. The mean mollusk isn't imaginary, despite what tall tales an old sailor might spread in a dilapidated harbour tavern.
To understand why nautical superstition matters to boaters, you must consider the origins of the Kraken myth in the early 1700s, when stories from Norwegian sailors depicted a massive squid or octopus-like creature capable of dragging entire ships beneath the waves. By some accounts, it supposedly did just that. What was once dismissed as hyperbole or sailor's scuttlebutt - stories muddied and exaggerated by time and human nature - were confirmed as absolutely real.
The word “Kraken” comes from the Old Norse word krake, meaning a crooked pole or stake, often cut from a twisted tree. The comparison is fitting when you think about it: sailors peering into the dark, ominous waters could easily imagine the towering limbs of a giant cephalopod as the gnarled trunk of a misshapen tree. Except the tree wasn't a vegetarian.
Although the legend dates back over three centuries, the first images of a living giant squid weren't taken until 2004. Discovered off the coast of Japan, it was the first unsettling proof that a living giant squid and a human being (or at least their boat), could be in the same place at the same time.
Then In 2023, we saw the first video footage depicting a 20-25 foot specimen, seemingly in its death throes at the water's surface, next to a pair of free divers. This served as the definitive modern proof that a living giant squid and a living human being could find themselves sharing the same space (huge credit to those divers.... yeesh).
When the 2023 footage went viral, scientists may have known that the giant squid lived in the deepest depths imaginable, but the psychological comfort enjoyed by pleasure boaters, those relishing a false sense of security provided by the distance between the surface and whatever horror lied 20,000 leagues under the sea, was shattered.
Now, it gets even better. Or worse, depending on how you look at it.
Scientists have discovered evidence of the giant squid in the waters of Western Australia - the first record there in a quarter century. The new giant squid territory was found near the Cape Range and Cloates Canyons roughly 750 miles 91200 km) north of Perth. On the bright side, it was found at depths of around 4540 metres (14,900 feet). On the downside, there are now giant squid in more places than you think.
Previously, giant squid were found along continental and island slopes near Newfoundland, Norway, the northern British Isles, Spain, New Zealand, Japan, and southern Africa, according to The Smithsonian. Western Australia, not so much.
“Finding evidence of a giant squid really captures people's imagination, but it's just one part of a much bigger picture,” said the study's lead author, Dr. Georgia Nester, in a report published by WAtoday on May 6th.
They found the giant squid through a DNA study of 178 samples which yielded evidence of 226 species in the area - 83 of which are believed to be new records depicting new ranges or territories for marine wildlife. Not only does it indicate the giant squid has entered new territory, there is also evidence of a new sleeper shark range, too. Dinner, perhaps?
“We found a large number of species that don't neatly match anything currently recorded, which doesn't automatically mean they're new to science, but it strongly suggests there is a vast amount of deep-sea biodiversity we're only just beginning to uncover,” Nester told WAtoday.
Prior to the teams findings, there were only two other records of a giant squid in Western Australia. There had not been a sighting, or any other evidence, of a specimen in the area for over 25 years.
It's also worth mentioning that there are collosal squid, too. The "giant squid" holds the title for longest tentacles, while the "colossal squid" is heavier and more massive. Colossal squid can reach up to 500 kg (1100 lbs), while the giant squid has the more capable limbs. So, in other words, there are two mammoth invertebrates to watch for. A collossal squid was captured on video for the first time ever last year.
“This is the first record of a giant squid detected off Western Australia's coast using eDNA protocols and the northernmost record of them in the eastern Indian Ocean,” said WA Museum's Dr. Lisa Kirkendale to WAtoday.
So, what does this mean for boaters?
Well, not much particlarly, aside from a shattered psyche and a good tidbit of nautical lore for your buddies at the marina. Giant squid are (hopefully) staying in the depths, but the evidence proves they're prone to wandering. As ocean levels and temperatures change, there's no reason to think the giant squid won't slither closer to places where humans and animals overlap. With that in mind, we'd recommend having good sonar if you're cruising over oceanic trenches of ominous depth. And maybe don't dangle your feet in the water while at anchor at night. Giant squid also have a thing for bioluminescence, which is to say it attracts them, so maybe don't shine flashlights around all willy nilly.
Remember: the ocean is mostly unexplored, which is exactly the way the squid likes it. But, if something wraps around your propeller at night maybe don't assume it's an errant fishing line.
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