A FACE ONLY A MOTHER COULD LOVE
by mary lancaster independent arts writer

Clusters of squid eggs submersed in water, above, will greet visitors to the NHA's "In Search of Giant Squid" exhibition. The eggs, a squid beak and other specimens round out an extensive, informative display that NHA Curator Ben Simons, right, is excited to present.

There are definitely some arms you do not want wrapped around your neck or circling your waist. And you can learn all about them when "In Search of Giant Squid," replete with information on slithery, undulating tentacles equipped with imprisoning suction cups, opens at the Whaling Museum's second floor gallery on Friday, Feb. 1. The exhibit contains a few specimens, lots of displays, a Squid-O-Meter that measures how much bigger squid are compared to a person's height and even a "squideo," a documentary of the only live giant squid captured on film in their deep sea environment.

This exhibit, running from Feb. 1 through April 20, comes from the Smithsonian Institution as part of its national traveling exhibition service and represents the Nantucket Historical Association's first traveling exhibition to be shown here with many anticipated for the future.

PHOTOS BY ROB BENCHLEY/The Independent

"We will be serving calamari at the opening," said NHA curator Ben Simons, with a bit of a wry smile. He is thrilled about the premiere event. "The museum has only been open as a year-round museum since the new building [opened last year]. To have a traveling exhibit in the middle of February is very exciting."

There are lots of facts to learn about this notorious creature that has played leading monster roles in movies, including "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea," the 1954 Kirk Douglas classic that will be shown at 7 p.m. at the museum the night of the opening. Some of the facts include the size of a giant squid's eyes, which are as big as a man's head; that the average weight of a giant squid is 1,000 pounds but some are known to have weighed nearly a ton; that the average male ranges between 10 to 26 feet long and the average female 30 to 43 feet long; that giant squid only live two or three years and that the females produce up to 10 million eggs in their single reproductive cycle.

The gallery specimens span a water-filled cube of tentacle suction cups. Though small, they show that the cups are surrounded by teeth that provide a second way to retain the capture of prey. Another cube holds a razor-sharp beak, technically called a mandible, that the squid uses to tear his meal into bite-sized pieces. The beaks, made of a fingernailtype matter, cannot be digested by whales, which often feed on squid. In the 19th century whaling era fishermen capturing sperm whales found the ambergris, a waxy, amber colored substance produced in the whale's intestines in reaction to not being able to digest the beaks, a profitable commodity used as a perfume fixative base.

On March 7, Dr. Clyde Roper, known as "Mr. Squid," and who is the world's leading squid expert, will address museum visitors during a weekend when the NHA hosts its "Giant Squid Festival." The weekend will feature an entire day of children's activities besides Dr. Roper's talks.

Simons explained that the NHA's previous curator, Niles Parker, found out that giant squid are the natural enemy of the whale, and decided that the Smithsonian exhibit would appeal to all ages, especially children. This exhibit is supported, in part, by Nantucket's Egan Maritime Foundation and by Novation Media. In the fall of 2009, Simons said the Whaling Museum will host "Cameras Coast," a traveling exhibit from the Historic New England Association at the same time it will present "Keeping Time in Sag Harbor." Another idea in the works is to hold an exhibit showing where Nantucketers traveledaround the world during the whaling years. I

GIANT SQUID FACTS

• Giant squid, the world's largest invertebrates, reach up to 60 feet in length and weigh 1,000 lb. or more.

• They have the world's largest eyes. Giant squid eyes are as big as a human head.

• They're fast growing. Giant squid may grow as much as 25 feet in their first year.

• Giant squid live at a depth of between 650 and 2,600 feet.

• All squids have clear blue blood, based on copper rather than iron.

• Instead of saline, a giant squid's muscles are filled with ammonia.

• They're tough. Large sucker marks found on sperm whales, the adult giant squid's only predator, prove that although they often lose the battle, giant squid don't give up without a fight.