Tsunemi Kubodera
Encyclopedia
is a Japanese
zoologist with the National Science Museum of Japan
. On September 30, 2004, Kubodera and his team became the first people to photograph a live giant squid
in its natural habitat. Two years later, on December 4, 2006, he also managed to successfully film a live giant squid for the first time ever.
In addition to these firsts involving the giant squid, in 2005, Kubodera also became the first to film the Dana Octopus Squid
(Taningia danae) in its natural habitat.
With his partner Kyoichi Mori
of the Ogasawara Whale Watching Association
, Kubodera captured photos of the elusive giant squid with his special cameras, after three years of attempts. Relying on the paths of sperm whale
s, the pair found suitable location to deploy their equipment. The cameras, which were able to store 600 photos, were programmed to flash and take a picture every thirty seconds. Tsunemi's hope was that one of these pictures would contain a photograph of the giant squid. The camera was mounted on a line that used two hooks. To this line Kubodera attached two cuttlefish as bait. The line was then lowered to 2950 feet. A giant squid took the bait and got caught on one of the hook traps. The squid spent more than four hours trying to get free before severing one of its tentacles and fleeing. The tentacle was still moving when the camera was hauled up.
The resulting photographs have helped scientists dramatically improve their understanding of giant squid behavior. For example, the squid showed a more aggressive hunting style than scientists had expected.
's special program about the giant squid.
Japanese people
The are an ethnic group originating in the Japanese archipelago and are the predominant ethnic group of Japan. Worldwide, approximately 130 million people are of Japanese descent; of these, approximately 127 million are residents of Japan. People of Japanese ancestry who live in other countries...
zoologist with the National Science Museum of Japan
National Science Museum of Japan
The is located in the northeast corner of Ueno park in Tokyo. Opened in 1871, the museum has had several names, including Ministry of Education Museum, Tokyo Museum, Tokyo Science Museum, the National Science Museum of Japan, and currently the National Museum of Nature and Science as of 2007...
. On September 30, 2004, Kubodera and his team became the first people to photograph a live giant squid
Giant squid
The giant squid is a deep-ocean dwelling squid in the family Architeuthidae, represented by as many as eight species...
in its natural habitat. Two years later, on December 4, 2006, he also managed to successfully film a live giant squid for the first time ever.
In addition to these firsts involving the giant squid, in 2005, Kubodera also became the first to film the Dana Octopus Squid
Dana Octopus Squid
The Dana Octopus Squid is a species of squid in the family Octopoteuthidae. It is one of the largest known squid species, reaching a mantle length of and total length of...
(Taningia danae) in its natural habitat.
Finding the giant squid
Kyoichi Mori
Kyoichi Mori is a Japanese whale watcher who assisted Tsunemi Kubodera in taking the first photographs of a living giant squid in its natural habitat...
of the Ogasawara Whale Watching Association
Ogasawara Whale Watching Association
The Ogasawara Whale Watching Association is an association that regulates whale watching in the Ogasawara Islands. Since 1989 the Ogasawara Whale Watching Association has been conducting research on and educating people about whales...
, Kubodera captured photos of the elusive giant squid with his special cameras, after three years of attempts. Relying on the paths of sperm whale
Sperm Whale
The sperm whale, Physeter macrocephalus, is a marine mammal species, order Cetacea, a toothed whale having the largest brain of any animal. The name comes from the milky-white waxy substance, spermaceti, found in the animal's head. The sperm whale is the only living member of genus Physeter...
s, the pair found suitable location to deploy their equipment. The cameras, which were able to store 600 photos, were programmed to flash and take a picture every thirty seconds. Tsunemi's hope was that one of these pictures would contain a photograph of the giant squid. The camera was mounted on a line that used two hooks. To this line Kubodera attached two cuttlefish as bait. The line was then lowered to 2950 feet. A giant squid took the bait and got caught on one of the hook traps. The squid spent more than four hours trying to get free before severing one of its tentacles and fleeing. The tentacle was still moving when the camera was hauled up.
The resulting photographs have helped scientists dramatically improve their understanding of giant squid behavior. For example, the squid showed a more aggressive hunting style than scientists had expected.
In media
Kubodera had a segment on the Discovery ChannelDiscovery Channel
Discovery Channel is an American satellite and cable specialty channel , founded by John Hendricks and distributed by Discovery Communications. It is a publicly traded company run by CEO David Zaslav...
's special program about the giant squid.