Squid and Whale
One of the most dramatic dioramas in the Museum brings to life an epic struggle between a giant squid and a sperm whale. Although the sperm whale has impressive teeth, it actually uses suction to pull in its prey, in this case the squid. The whale clutches the squid in its mouth, while the squid grasps desperately at the whale’s head, which is an oversized snout.
Sperm whales have been known to dive as deep as 6,500 feet (2,000 m) and remain underwater for more than an hour in pursuit of these giant squid. To find their prey in those murky depths, they use a form of echolocation similar to what bats use, interpreting the reflections of sounds emanating from their distinctively formed snouts. Sperm whales are often found bearing scars that match the suckers on the squid’s tentacles, and with the indigestible beaks and other body parts of the giant squid still in their stomachs.
Giant squids are among the most mysterious and elusive sea animals. It was not until 2005 that one had been seen live int eh wild. The darkness of the diorama approximates the conditions where the giant squid lives, in the deep ocean where no sunlight penetrates.
The Museum has its own giant squid, one of the few specimen housed in a museum in North America. The specimen was brought to the Museum, frozen, in 1998 and is stored in the collection in a large steel tank.
