Moment when mythical 13 foot giant squid devoured by a shark – VIDEO - PHOTOS

Reporters are meant to write the news - not make it. But there must be something in the water, because - for the second time in a month - a fishing writer has stumbled across something extraordinary.

The Australian Daily Telegraph fishing columnist - and big-game fisherman - Al McGlashan was sailing off the coast of New South Wales, Australia, at the weekend when he came across the carcass of a 13-foot squid.

And when McGlashan got into the water to explore the carcass, he found he was not the only interested party - a large blue shark came and made himself known, before devouring parts of the carcass.

Just weeks ago, the tackle editor for the Angling Times came across 'Frankenfish' in a pond in Camdridgeshire - which seemed to be part-roach, part-goldfish, and part-bream.
McGlashan, also writer of a book called the Fishing Bible, discovered the squid yesterday - but it was so big he could not bring it onto the boat.
 
He believes the squid has only died recently, as its flesh still had a vibrant colour - perhaps what attracted the shark.

McGlashan told ABC News: 'They’re sort of one of those mythical things.

'You hear those stories about ancient mariners getting attacked in their boat ... and you only hear about the very occasional one being washed up down in Tassie [Tasmania].'
Squid specialist Mandy Reid told the Telegraph the squid may have been killed by a sperm whale, or died of natural causes.

She said: 'Most squid only live for a year, they grow extremely quickly.'
McGlashan found the squid 50km from shore off the coast of Jervis Bay.

And, while he was in the water and filming, the shark came for a peek and a bit to eat.
He said: 'It hoed into the squid straight away and didn't care a bit that it was right next to us. It was taking great chunks out of the squid in one bite.'

He added: 'In all my time of fishing, I’ve never seen calamari rings so big. It was massive.'
Although giants squids are known to science, sightings are very rare.

'It must have died not that long before we found it because it didn’t smell at all and its colors were still strong - most giant squid remains are smelly and rotten and just off-white by the time someone finds them.'



/dailymail.co.uk/