…and this is a 
Another reason to visit Washington state this summer
Category: Organisms
Posted on: March 28, 2006 9:16 AM, by PZ Myers
Besides being my boyhood home and the place where most of my relatives live, they're finding dead Humboldt squid washing ashore in Puget Sound. Paradise!
Dan Penttila has been walking Washington's beaches for more than 50 years, made a career of studying small fish born there, and knows pretty much what to expect.
But he could hardly believe it when one day in January, he stumbled over a squid, a species normally found in the warm waters off Mexico and Southern California: the Humboldt squid.
Comments
sorry this is not related to the post above, but have you heard this one:
An Arkansas science teacher was ordered not to
tell his students the actual age of stones.
it's from Harper's week in review.
do you have any details on this?
Posted by: sally | March 28, 2006 9:35 AM
PZ, I was down Razor Clamming at the ocean, and talked with people who saw them too. Big, beautiful animals. A discuusion is why they are showing up so far north, evidently as far north as Canada. One person opinioned that the ecosystem is changing because of over fishing, and the squid are filling the volid. Jellyfish are reportedly much more abundant in the north Pacific, supposedly for the same reason.
Posted by: Rocky | March 28, 2006 10:09 AM
Besides being my boyhood home and the place where most of my relatives live, they're finding dead Humboldt squid washing ashore in Puget Sound.
And you expect us to believe that this is a coincidence?
Posted by: NelC | March 28, 2006 11:37 AM
sally,
I suggest you follow the discussion thread from when Mr. Meyers mentioned that same Harper's article last week.
Posted by: Daniel Martin | March 28, 2006 12:14 PM
When I die, I'm having my body fed to a pack of cephalopods. Humboldt squid will do, and I suppose puget sound is as good a place as any.
Posted by: GW | March 28, 2006 12:30 PM
http://www.thecephalopodpage.org/Mrobusta.php
We do have large squid in Puget Sound!
Look at the link above.......
Posted by: Rocky | March 28, 2006 12:56 PM
Ah PZ, it is clear that our cephlapod overlords want to get in touch with you but you have moved too far away from the ocean. Heed the call and return to the sea (is Myers perhaps changed from Marsh?)
I agree about the other big cephalopods up here, lots of Giant Octopuses to play with, most are shy but some hang out with divers in protected areas and are not averse to taking a crab from your hand.
Posted by: CanuckRob | March 28, 2006 1:27 PM
From reading the article, I don't think the humboldt squid were found in the sound. I'll probably ride my bike down to Dash Point tomorrow. I'll keep an eye out, and take a camera.
Posted by: mykej | March 28, 2006 2:12 PM
No, the Humbolt were at the ocean. But the one in the link above was found close to Dash Point!
Posted by: Rocky | March 28, 2006 2:16 PM
Will this be competition for the Pacific Northwest Tree Octopus?
Posted by: Graculus | March 28, 2006 7:31 PM
Why does PZ Myers hate Humboldt squid so, and why does he want them dead?
Posted by: Lettuce | March 28, 2006 8:04 PM
"... they're finding dead Humboldt squid washing ashore in Puget Sound. Paradise!"
Not exactly paradise for the squid...
Posted by: Sharon | March 29, 2006 7:00 AM