Mass Humboldt Squid Suicide At Santa Cruz

These are amazing creatures that I can forsee one day inheriting the Earth. But first, they need to stop doing this:

Legions of big predatory squid have gathered along the Northern California coast, where they are stranding themselves on Santa Cruz beaches by the hundreds in a mysterious frenzy of suicide.

The jumbo invertebrates, known as Humboldt squid, are far north of their normal habitat in the warmer waters of Baja California and along the west coast of South America.

...The presence of this particular species is not likely to make scuba divers happy. Humboldt squid, so named because they were first discovered in the Humboldt Current in South America, are also known in Spanish as diablo rojo, or red devil, because they have a reputation for aggression. The species, which are among the largest carnivorous squid in the world, often approach and sometimes even grab scuba divers.

"They are not afraid to approach divers and touch them. They'll grab you with their arms and try to figure out what you are," said Rosen, adding that the sea creatures display unusual intelligence. "It can make people a little uncomfortable. With a squid that big, it's nothing to scoff at, but there has been no documentation of them trying to eat a human. They are just curious."

Some scientists believe the squid are provoked by divers wearing reflective gear or holding flashing lights.

The ability of the animals to change color is another reason for the devilish reputation, Rosen said. In the presence of other squid, they will flash from white to red and back in a remarkable imitation of a strobe light.

The species are believed to have first ventured up to the Central Coast from the Sea of Cortez in 2000. Scientists with the Gilly lab believe they move north during El Niño weather conditions, which are in effect this year. It is believed that the water to the south becomes too warm for the squid. Climate change could be accelerating the warming process, which would explain why there have been more recent squid sightings.