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Story: Whales

Giant squid

Image
Giant squid

The sperm whales off Kaikōura dive to catch and eat giant squid, such as this 10-metre, 300-kilogram monster caught north-east of Banks Peninsula in 1998. It is being examined by marine biologist Steve O’Shea.

Using this item

Alexander Turnbull Library, Dominion Post Collection (PA-Group-00685)

Reference: EP/1998/0438/21

by Craig Simcox

Permission of the Alexander Turnbull Library, National Library of New Zealand, Te Puna Mātauranga o Aotearoa, must be obtained before any re-use of this image.

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How to cite this page

Gerard Hutching, Whales – Sperm whale, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/photograph/7099/giant-squid (accessed 14 June 2026).

Story by Gerard Hutching, published 2 March 2009.