A rare battle between a shark and some kind of squid occurred recently in the ocean off the coast of Hawaii. The aftermath of the battle can be seen in the incredible photo below, showing a seven-foot-long oceanic whitetip shark (Carcharhinus longimanus) with golf-ball-size suction marks left by a squid’s tentacles.
A seven-foot-long oceanic whitetip shark carries golf ball-size suction marks, likely left by a squid’s tentacles. Several large squid species dwell in the deep Pacific, including the giant squid. PHOTOGRAPH BY DERON VERBECK from r/badassanimals
Photographer Deron Verbeck snapped the photo of the shark during a dive off the coast of Hawaii.
According to a study published June 3 in the Journal of Fish Biology, there are only a few creatures in this area that are capable of creating scars like this. Researchers say it likely could have been none other than the elusive giant squid.
The researchers pointed out that the series of circular marks on the shark’s back and side are shaped exactly like the suckers on the giant squid’s tentacles.
Watch the video below to see footage of a giant squid that was filmed recently off in the Gulf of Mexico – the only known footage of a giant squid in waters near the U.S.
