Yes there are sea monsters! The giant squid lives in the deepest, coldest parts of the sea, growing up to 18 metres in length. It can weight up to a tonne. Considered a mythical monster of the sea, often appearing in stories, it is only in the last hundred years that any convincing evidence has been offered of its existence. Very little is known about this creature. No giant squid has ever been captured alive. The only specimens we have of them are dead ones that have been washed up on shores around the world.

The huge eyes of the giant squid, which can measure as much as 25 centimetres in diameter, are the biggest eyes in the animal kingdom. Giant squid have eight powerful arms and two long tentacles, which surround a parrot-shaped beak that is strong enough to sever steel cable, and which is used to crush prey into bite-sized pieces. They are capable of attacking whales.

The existence of the even bigger 'colossal squid' has been suspected for many decades, as arms from the creature have occasionally been recovered from the stomachs of sperm whales. But it wasn't until an actual specimen was caught near Antarctica near New Zealand in March 2003 that the reality of this new type of squid was brought home to scientists. The specimen was larger than any previously seen giant squid, and it was only a young one, just half to two-thirds grown. It was the first recovered with all its bits intact from the surface of the ocean.

This squid has one of the largest beaks known of any squid, and seems to have more muscles attached to its tentacles. It also has unique swivelling hooks on the clubs at the ends of its tentacles. All of these things make it a very deadly predator.

The fully-grown colossal squid is bigger than a double decker bus. It has one of the largest beaks known of any squid and appears to have more muscles attached to its tentacles. It also has got 25 teeth-like hooks as sharp as razors on the clubs at the end of its tentacles. It can turn around 360 degrees. All of this make it one of the most frightening predators out there!

The first evidence of the colossal squid's existence came in 1925 when two arms were recovered from a sperm whale's stomach. Only six specimens of this squid were ever recovered prior to the 2003 Antartica find: five came from the stomachs of sperm whales and the sixth was caught in a trawl net at a depth of 2,000 to 2,200 metres.