Giant Squids and Late Capelin

It's squid fishing time in Newfoundland.

Here's an article about a little boy in Lower Island Cove who discovered a Giant Squid on the beach!  I'm guessing this was probably the small beach where the community wharf and breakwater is located today.  There are only a few small rocky beaches around LIC, and most are hard to access on foot.

The particular giant squid or cuttlefish was measured at 32 feet long.  It's tentacles alone were 21 feet long.  It's described as having a body bigger than a horse and a pelt around three inches thick.

It would be a job to make stuffed squid with that one!

Evening Telegram December 5, 1890

Giant squids are no strangers to Newfoundland and many sightings have been recorded throughout the years.  The pic below shows one that washed ashore in Catalina in 1877.  There appeared to be quite a few recordings in the late 1800s.

Giant Squid September 24, 1877 Catalina Trinity Bay Source: Wikipedia

Here's another report where a 36 feet long squid was captured by fisherman David Boleyn at Smooth Cove which is between Ochre Pit Cove and Northern Bay.  It was found entangled in his bultow (trawl), and after a fight, he managed to get it to shore.

Evening Telegram - September 11, 1899

Capelin usually spawn on beaches in NL sometime between June and  August, but this clipping describes an unusual occurrence. A resident of Burnt Point observed capelin in the community in October which is very late.  It sounds like a fisherman had to go and dip up a bucket just to see that the resident wasn't telling lies!  Very strange.

Evening Telegram - October 30, 1907

Hope you enjoyed this little write up.
S.