Rare squid beaches on Dutch island

Translated from Ecomare museum in the Netherlands:

Squid washed ashore – 01/03/12

The squid washed ashore is about 1 meter long

After the sunfish last week another extraordinary discovery! This Sunday a sagittal squid was found on the beach of Terschelling. Before 1960 dead squid were found regularly on the Dutch beaches. But in the fifty years after 1960, it happened only rarely. Until last year, when suddenly during a few months’ time seven squid beached on the islands. These were more than in the past fifty years together.

Rare find

Sagittal squid are the largest squid species in the North Sea and up to 120 cm long. They live mostly in deeper water and are rare in the shallow waters of the coastal areas. Even their carapaces are rare finds and eggs of the sagittal squid hardly ever beach. Its relative, the European squid, is also rarely found on beaches. However, of this species squid eggs and occasionally carapaces are found.

Do you have found one too?

Most squid beach from February to November. Who knows where this will happen in the future! We would like to hear it of course if you have found one!

Sagittal squid beaches on Texel: here. And here.

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