Giant squid: Sighted near Japan
Sea monster that sailors have talked of for 1000 years finally found half kilometre under the sea near Japan.
Sea monster that sailors have talked of for 1000 years finally found half kilometre under the sea near Japan.
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Giant squid filmed in Pacific depths: Japan scientists
By Shingo Ito (AFP)
TOKYO — Scientists and broadcasters said Monday they have captured footage of an elusive giant squid roaming the depths of the Pacific Ocean, showing it in its natural habitat for the first time ever.
Japan's National Science Museum succeeded in filming the deep-sea creature at a depth of more than half a kilometre... after teaming up with Japanese public broadcaster NHK and the US Discovery Channel.
The massive invertebrate is the stuff of legend, with sightings of a huge ocean-dwelling beast reported by sailors for centuries
The creature is thought to be the genesis of the Nordic legend of Kraken, a sea monster believed to have attacked ships in waters off Scandinavia over the last millennium.
...scientists .... used a submersible to descend to the dark and cold depths of the northern Pacific Ocean, where at around 630 metres... they managed to film a three-metre specimen.
After around 100 missions, during which they spent 400 hours in the cramped submarine, the three-man crew tracked the creature from a spot some 15 kilometres... east of Chichi island in the north Pacific.
Museum researcher Tsunemi Kubodera said they followed the enormous mollusc to a depth of 900 metres as it swam into the ocean abyss.
NHK showed footage of the silver-coloured creature, which had huge black eyes, as it swam against the current, holding a bait squid in its arms.
For Kubodera it was the culmination of a lengthy quest for the beast.
"It was shining and so beautiful," Kubodera told AFP. "I was so thrilled when I saw it first hand, but I was confident we would because we rigorously researched the areas we might find it, based on past data."
Kubodera said the creature had its two longest arms missing, and estimated it would have been eight metres long if it had been whole. He gave no explanation for its missing arms.
He said it was the first video footage of a live giant squid in its natural habitat -- the depths of the sea where there is little oxygen and the weight of the water above exerts enormous pressure.
Kubodera, a squid specialist, also filmed what he says was the first live video footage of a giant squid in 2006, but only from his boat after it was hooked and brought up to the surface.
"Researchers around the world have tried to film giant squid in their natural habitats, but all attempts were in vain before," Kubodera said.
"With this footage we hope to discover more about the life of the species," he said, adding that he planned to publish his findings soon.
Kubodera said the two successful sightings of the squid -- in 2012 and 2006 -- were both in the same area, some 1,000 kilometres south of Tokyo, suggesting it could be a major habitat for the species.
The giant squid, "Architeuthis" to scientists, is sometimes described as one of the last mysteries of the ocean, being part of a world so hostile to humans that it has been little explored.
Researchers say Architeuthis eats other types of squid and grenadier, a species of fish that lives in the deep ocean. They say it can grow to be longer than 10 metres.
NHK said it and the Discovery Channel are scheduled to air special documentaries on the find later this month.
Copyright © 2013 AFP. All rights reserved.
(Source: Bangkok Post, Giant squid filmed in Pacific depths: Japan scientists, By Shingo Ito (AFP), link)
Giant Squid Vocabulary
giant squid - a squid that lives in the deep ocean with as many as eight species which can grow to a very large size of 13 meters for females and 10 meters for males, one of the largest living organisms (See Wikipedia)
squid - ปลาหมึก
Architeuthis - the scientific name for the giant squid (See pronunciation)
species - a set of animals or plants in which the members have similar characteristics to each other and can breed with each other พันธ์,จำพวก
depth - the distance down either from the top of something to the bottom, or to a distance below the top surface of something ความลึก
at a depth of more than half a kilometre...
giant squid filmed in Pacific depths: Japan scientists
broadcasters - radio or TV stations that send programmes over the airwaves for people to listen to or watch in their homes การแพร่ภาพกระจายเสียง
footage - film or video of a particular subject or event ฟิลม์หรือคลิปภาพยนตร์ หรือวิดีโอ
captured footage
elusive - difficult to describe, find, achieve or remember ซึ่งหลบหลีก, ยากที่จะหา, ยากที่จะเข้าใจ
the elusive giant squid
roaming - wandering around, going from place to place without a goal
roaming the depths of the Pacific Ocean
broadcasters have captured footage of an elusive giant squid roaming the depths of the Pacific Ocean
habitat - the type of place that a particular animal usually lives in or a particular plant usually grows in ถิ่นที่อยู่ของพืชหรือสัตว์
it could be a major habitat for the species
natural - found in nature (not made in a factory by humans) ตามธรรมชาติ
natural habitat - the place where an animal usually lives (when not kept by people)
showing the giant squid in its natural habitat for the first time ever
creature - animal
deep-sea creature - an animal (here fish) that lives in the deep sea
succeeded in filming the deep-sea creature at a depth of more than half a kilometre...
teaming up with - joining together with other people do do something
public broadcaster - a TV or radio station owned and operated by the government
teaming up with Japanese public broadcaster NHK and the US Discovery Channel.
invertebrate - all the animals that do not have a back bone, a very large group of animal species (See Wikipedia)
vertebrate - animals with a backbone (See Wikipedia)
massive - very large in size, amount or numberใหญ่โต มหาศาล
massive invertebrate
legend - a story from long ago (truth mixed with things that are not true = partially fictional)
the stuff of legend - the kind of thing that (partially fictional) stories
the massive invertebrate is the stuff of legend
beast - an animal
dwelling - living in a place
ocean-dwelling - living in the ocean
ocean-dwelling beast
sightings - when people see something that is rare and difficult to see
with sightings of a huge ocean-dwelling beast reported by sailors for centuries
the two successful sightings of the squid -- in 2012 and 2006 -- were both in the same area
Nordic legend of Kraken
the genesis of - the creation of
the creature is thought to be the genesis of the Nordic legend of Kraken
millennium - 1000 years
over the last millennium - over the last 1000 years
Kraken was a sea monster believed to have attacked ships in waters off Scandinavia over the last millennium
submersible - a small submarine (a small craft or vehicle that travels under the water)
descend - to go down
managed to - tried to do something and did it after trying for a period of time
...scientists .... used a submersible to descend to the dark and cold depths of the northern Pacific Ocean, where at around 630 metres... they managed to film a three-metre specimen.
cramped - crowded, with little room inside
cramped submarine - very crowded submarine (with very little room inside)
crew - the people who work on a ship, aircraft, etc. ลูกเรือ
the three-man crew of the submarine
tracked - followed closely (to see where it is going)
the scientists tracked the creature
a spot - a place
After around 100 missions, during which they spent 400 hours in the cramped submarine, the three-man crew tracked the creature from a spot some 15 kilometres... east of Chichi island in the north Pacific.
enormous - very large ที่ใหญ่โตมโหฬาร มหาศาล
mollusc - a shell fish
enormous mollusc - a big shell fish
abyss - the depths of a place (down inside something that is very deep) (example: the abyss of the cave)
the ocean abyss
Museum researcher Tsunemi Kubodera said they followed the enormous mollusc to a depth of 900 metres as it swam into the ocean abyss.
current - a strong movement of water in one direction, in this case, meaning a very difficult or dangerous situation กระแส
swam against the current - swim into the flow of the water (water hitting you and pushing you back, not going with the flow)
bait - fish that you put on your fishing pole to catch other fish (the fish eats the bait and gets caught on hook) เหยื่อ, สิ่งล่อใจ
NHK showed footage of the silver-coloured creature, which had huge black eyes, as it swam against the current, holding a bait squid in its arms.
quest - a search for something
a lengthy quest - a long search for something
culmination - the last part or end; the final result of a process or situation ผลสุดท้าย
the culmination of a lengthy quest - the end of a long search (when you finally find the thing you are looking for)
beast - an animal
For Kubodera it was the culmination of a lengthy quest for the beast.
thrilled - very excited about something
saw it first hand
I was so thrilled when I saw it first hand
rigorously
rigorously researched
data - facts or information used for making calculations or decisions ข้อมูล
based on past data
confident - being certain of your abilities or of having trust in people, plans, or the future มั่นใจ
I was confident we would because we rigorously researched the areas we might find it, based on past data.
pressure - a force causing change ความกดดัน
exerts pressure
exerts enormous pressure
the weight of the water above exerts enormous pressure
He said it was the first video footage of a live giant squid in its natural habitat -- the depths of the sea where there is little oxygen and the weight of the water above exerts enormous pressure.
hooked - finding something so interesting or attractive that you want to do it as much as possible ติดใจ ตกกระไดพลอยโจน
Kubodera, a squid specialist, also filmed what he says was the first live video footage of a giant squid in 2006, but only from his boat after it was hooked and brought up to the surface.
in vain - fails to achieve what is intended
all attempts were in vain
"Researchers around the world have tried to film giant squid in their natural habitats, but all attempts were in vain before," Kubodera said.
findings - the results or conclusions of an investigation or research
publish his findings - publish an article about your research and what you found
"With this footage we hope to discover more about the life of the species," he said, adding that he planned to publish his findings soon.
air - to show a TV program on TV
documentary -
air documentaries - to show documentaries on TV
scheduled - planned to happen at a particular time or day ตามตารางเวลา
scheduled to air special documentaries
NHK said it and the Discovery Channel are scheduled to air special documentaries on the find later this month.