In Search of Giant Squid opens at Yale University's Peabody Museum
by Heather Foster

9/24/05

New Haven, CT--A collaborative effort between SITES, the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History (NMNH), and the Discovery Channel, In Search of Giant Squid recently opened to great fanfare at Yale University's Peabody Museum. As expected, the exhibition attracted throngs of excited "squid-o-philes"-all eager to learn more about the mysterious creature that has long haunted the dreams of sea-weary sailors.

One of the highlights of the opening was an introductory lecture by NMNH curator and squid researcher Dr. Clyde Roper. Roper mesmerized the standing-room-only auditorium with the dissection of a preserved squid specimen. The anatomical lesson was even projected on a jumbo screen for those who couldn't squeeze close enough to see the squid doctor at work.

A walk through the exhibition gallery was as instructive and intriguing as Roper's lecture. In Search of Giant Squid features an interactive 3-minute video, a brief Discovery Channel film about the ongoing search for the giant squid, and a 10-foot "squid-o-meter" that allows visitors to gauge their own size relative to that of the squid. Yale's exhibition gallery was, just maybe, the only place on the planet where you could peer at an enormous model of a giant squid and then study the curious behavior of live cuttlefish. With scores of the museum's own remarkable specimens on display, the site was truly a squid lover's fantasy.

But you didn't have to be a research scientist to soak up the Peabody's Squid exhibition. Young visitors were particularly thrilled with the museum's deep sea puppet show-complete with a whole cast of lovable squid and other endearing cephalopod characters. Youngsters also enjoyed making squid puppets of their own, taking part in a "sucker ball" toss, and coloring a life-size squid chalk drawing in front of the museum.

No matter what your age or background, there is something strangely fascinating about the giant squid. Perhaps we are captivated by the fact that a live specimen has only once been seen in its natural habitat; perhaps it's the squids' immense size, or perhaps it's the animals' ability to thrive in such a seemingly hostile environment. For SITES exhibition project director Jennifer Bine, the squids are "extremely beautiful in a totally alien way . . . They move in an exquisite manner and have an incredibly elegant design."

Indeed, interest in this creature has always been widespread. For hundreds, if not thousands of years, this denizen of the deep has inspired artists, storytellers, and scientists to contemplate the unknown, the dark realm that lay beneath the water's edge. With the help of exhibitions like this one,that realm should feel a little less intimidating, especially as the giant squid makes its appearance in a museum near you!

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