There was one giant guest aboard a recent Royal Caribbean cruise that probably stuck out from all the other guests considering it was 6.5 feet long and tentacles.
Two rare giant species of squid are on their way to the Smithsonian Institution’s preserved cephalopod research collection in Washington DC. The effort is a joint collaboration between Royal Caribbean, Department of Environment and the University of South Florida St. Petersburg.
The squid, which are about two metres long, are described by local scientists as being in excellent condition and will provide important scientific data as these two deep sea cephalopod species are rarely encountered as adults.
Dr Janice Blumenthal was happy with the assistance Royal Caribbean provided to allow for the specimens to be studied further, "It was a pleasure to work with all the Royal Caribbean staff to arrange this unique transfer. They were extremely efficient in arranging the complex logistics of transporting the rare squid aboard their ship and importing them into the United States – though this was of course the first time any of us had attempted this."
