The Latest Export from the Sea of Cortez… Jumbo Squid?

Humboldt, squids, (Dosidicus gigas), are common within the Sea of Cortez, with an estimated ten million of these 6-food (2 meter) cephalopods living in the waters off of Santa Rosalia alone. But now it seems, these voracious predators have eyed the rest of the Eastern Pacific.
Weighing in at up to 100 pounds, (45 kilograms) with a strong parrot-like beak and hook-embedded suckers, these are no retiring calamari. Instead, Humboldt squid employ advanced pack hunting strategies and are able to communicate rapidly through conscious control of their skin chromatophores. They are considered by many to be comparable to dogs in intelligence and possess highly developed and sensitive eyes that can see in nearly complete darkness (the eyes of the related Giant Squid, Architeuthis dux, are the largest in the animal world - 20 inches in diameter).

With rapid generation times, tremendous metabolic needs, and high regional densities, these jet-propelled mollusks tend to make quite an impact on the population dynamics of any ecosystem they join. And they have now been found along the Eastern shores of the Pacific all the way from the Southern tip of South America to Alaska, although their greatest increase in numbers seems to be along the California coast.

The reasons for this shift are unclear. California has seen mysterious surges and disappearances of Humbolt squid before, most notably in the 1930’s, 1970’s and 1990’s, but the range expansion further north and south is something unexpected. Regional migrations of the squid have been noted in the past and have been linked to local food supplies, but a range expansion in both hemispheres may indicate a response to global warming.

The new abundance of squid has been a mixed bag for the coastal economies of Baja, and these effects may be reflected along the Eastern Pacific as the squid become more entrenched. A commercial squid fishery has developed in Santa Rosalia to supply the demands of Asian markets, with hundreds of thousands of tons being pulled from the waters each summer. However, more traditional catches such as Pacific hake, anchovies, and sardines are declining as the voracious squids consume them and this has California fisheries worried.

The squid have even proven a draw along Santa Rosalia and other areas of the Baja peninsula to tourists. Several dive operations now allow scuba divers the opportunity to dive with squids under the watch of experienced guides. Sport-fishermen also have reported that they enjoy fishing for the squids in the winter when most of the big game fish have departed.