Jon's Journal: Day 12 - Oceana USA
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August 17, 2004

Jon’s Journal: Day 12


[editor’s note, by Jason] Jon Warrenchuk is currently participating in NOAA’s 2004 Gulf of Alaska Seamount Expedition.


August 10, 2004: Last night a few of us made an amazing discovery: big squid will hit a “pixie” fishing lure! On light line, it’s quite sporting. They’re hard to keep on, and we fail to land one, but boy, its fun! These babies are at least 3 feet long, fast, and furious. I just wish we could get one in the boat!

I don’t know what species they are; the closest I can think of are the “majestic” squid, Berryteuthis magister, but those only get about 18 inches long. The big squid below us are fun to watch, streaking through the schools of forage fish (sandlance? capelin?) attracted to the deck lights. Then something large and grey makes the squid scatter. Is it a salmon shark? It disappears too fast for confirmation, but it’s a likely suspect. These smaller relatives of the Great white have been recorded throughout Alaskan waters, but much of their life history remains unknown.