Suicidal Squid!
– – Hundreds of Humboldt squid beached themselves this past weekend near Santa Cruz, California. Attempts to save the squid by placing them back into the water were futile; the squid simply swam back onto the shore!
“Twenty washed up right in front of me,” said one onlooker. “It was like they were committing suicide.”
Suicidal squid…wouldn’t that unplug your heating pad?! While we may never know with certainty what drove the squid to this extreme act, some scientists speculate that squid may accidentally beach themselves when they migrate to a new area. As the Humboldt squid is rarely seen in northern California, scientists believe that global warming may play a factor in driving the squid from their normal, equatorial habitat. When squid feed at night, they surface from the depths to explore more shallow areas, possibly getting trapped while feeding, not knowing where to go, and washing up…
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FOXSYLVANIA 
December 13, 2012 at 10:24 pm
Actually, their normal habitat is sub-equatorial…to the point of being trans-antarctic! More specifically; I think they frequent the waters of the Drake Passage as a rule. But, yes, I’ve read the same thing on Wikipedia (which is a lot more accurate than most people give it credit for), re: the possible reason for their having journeyed so far northward up the west coast of the Americas.
As to their stranding themselves like that? It’s also possible they’re trying to get away from their normal cetacean predators!
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December 13, 2012 at 11:42 pm
Either that, or they were too humiliated by “Squiddly Diddly” cartoons to go on…
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