Filmmaker's Journal: a squid invasion on National Geographic Channel

It's said that good things are worth the wait. I'm hoping that is the case with an episode of Hooked that airs this Friday on the National Geographic Channel. It's been just a little over a year ago when I traveled south to Baja, Mexico with my good friend, Scott Cassell, to study and film the Humboldt squid - a predator whose numbers have been exploding in the Sea of Cortez.

Michael Hoff Productions, which produces the series Hooked for Nat Geo, sent a crew down to Baja to document our efforts to film the squid and conduct some important experiments and observations with guide Dale Pearson, boat captain Tom Loomis, and marine biologist Steve Blair that would illustrate the voracious nature of this squid and what that means for marine ecosystems and many commercial fisheries.

The program focuses on Scott, as he has a long history of studying the Humboldt squid up close and in the wild. And that can be dangerous; Scott has had several broken bones and lacerations due to the tremendous force of the squid's formidable beak.

Having not seen the finished program, I am hoping that it clearly presents the issues regarding the expansion of the squid's range without becoming too melodramatic. But having spent some time with these creatures, I can tell you from experience that they are not to be underestimated. In fact, after having spent many years filming large sharks, this was the first time in a long time where my adrenaline was really pumping. Dangling from a steel cable 50 feet down in 250 feet of water, at night wearing anti-shark chain mail and peering through my viewfinder with only the dim glow of red underwater lights, only to have a 5 to 6 foot squid charge you suddenly - well, it's a little disconcerting.

So, shameless promotion: if you're watching cable this Friday night, tune in to the "Squid Invasion" episode of Hooked on the National Geographic Channel (May 13th, 9:00pm).

Jumbo Squid in Oxygen-Poor Zones: new study shows ability to expand territory and evade predation

New research adds further insight into the ability for the Humboldt, or jumbo, squid to expand its territory and become even more of a destabilizing predatory influence along the coast of the Eastern Pacific. In the latest issue of Progress in Oceanography, researchers from the University of Lisbon, Portugal, and the University of Rhode Island, U.S., studied the squid's metabolic rates in water with different oxygen levels - duplicating the oxygen-poor environment found in waters several hundred meters deep and also the oxygen-rich environment of relatively shallower depths.

Dr. Ruis Posa, of Portugal's Center for Oceanography, posed the question, "Jumbo squid display oxygen consumption rates that are among the highest in the oceans. This high energy demand reflects the low efficiency of jet propulsion. So the question is how can they survive in these deep, cold and oxygen depleted zones?"

According to Dr. Rosa, from Portugal's Center of Oceanography, the squid displayed the ability to shut down its metabolism by as much as 80% in the oxygen minimum layer (OML). This enables the squid to find a safe haven during the day beyond the reach of many of its predators. During the night, the squid rejuvenates itself in shallower waters where its metabolic demands increase dramatically as it hunts for food using its jet propelled speed coupled with tentacles laced with tooth-lined suction disks.

As mankind continues to alter the marine environment, we are finding more and more areas of lower-than-normal or even near-depleted oxygen levels in the oceans, thereby providing the voracious Humboldt squid with the capability of expanding its range. An animal's territorial range can be maintained by a variety of factors, some of which are based on the quality of its environment and on the predators that help keep the population in check. With this newly studied metabolic ability, the Humboldt squid can utilize spreading OMLs to its advantage, avoiding predators during the day and causing havoc amongst commercially fished species at night.

Read the study in Progress in Oceanography. Read more about the study in BBC News. Watch video below from Google Earth/Ocean.

Meddling With the Predator vs. Prey Relationship: man must pay up in sometimes surprising ways

When we selectively eliminate critical species from ecosystems, there is a price to be paid not only by the animal itself and the ecology. Man too must pony up - but our price may not be so obvious. It may be a price that is paid years down the road or is one we choose to ignore in the face of immediate personal or commercial gain.

This is what was once faced by cattlemen with regard to the hunting of wolves in the northern United States. Whatever was gained by cattle ranchers in eliminating a key predator, it ultimately came back to haunt them when the deer and varmint population exploded and competition between nature and the cattlemen for suitable grazing land necessitated bringing back the wolf population. But now the pendulum seems to be swinging back and the hunt for wolves is once again beginning in earnest - with no lessons apparently learned.

Many commercial fisheries stand on the brink of collapse, but sometimes the reason is not the obvious one: overfishing of a particular species. In some cases, it is rather the domino-like effect of our actions - as in the case of the hake fishery in Chile which has been severely impacted by the expansion of the Humboldt squid population, a voracious predator whose numbers have grown because of the commercial elimination of the squid's primary natural predators: sharks, tuna, and billfish.

This secondary effect is now being seen in other regions along the eastern Pacific coast: in the Sea of Cortez, where catches of grouper are in decline; and Northern California, where local fishermen are switching from catching rockfish to hauling up huge quantities of squid.

Here's a short video from my recent assignment in the Sea of Cortez.



The filming was for an important future program about which I have to be tight lipped for the time being. But the issue regarding Humboldt squid, which represents one of the multiple effects of disrupting once-balanced marine ecosystems, is an ongoing and growing one.

You fish. The fish are all gone. You move on. It's not that simple anymore.

Filmmaker's Journal: an oceanic roller derby

Preparing for our last day of diving here at Bahia de Los Angeles. Had one terrific night dive surrounded by the local fishermen in their traditional panga boats as they hauled up Humboldt squid. This fishing activity brings the Humboldt squid up closer to the surface and we position ourselves right in the thick of it.

To prevent scaring off the squid, I was filming with red lights which don't seem to bother them. It made for an eerie and adrenaline-pumping experience - like being in an oceanic roller derby bathed in red light, with squid zooming about, sometimes hitting you as they test to see if you're something edible.

Will be back in a day or two and will post a final report with pictures (the WiFi here in Baja is very sketchy and slow, so I have held off posting any images).

Keep watching the CITES conference. It's an important event.

Filmmaker's Journal: conditions improving for viewing Humboldt squid

We're finding windows of opportunity to dive with the Humboldt squid when the wind's not blowing.

An amazing animal but, unfortunately, a very disruptive predator when it's range has been allowed to extend beyond traditional borders due to a loss of natural predators that would normally keep their numbers under control.

We have a slate of experiments we are performing while we're here and we're chipping a way at them one by one. Last night we were surrounded by small to medium squid.

The photo shows me in standard squid diving gear: Neptunic Shark Suit, cable harness for being attached to the boat, and (not shown) an EX3 HD camera in Amphibico housing.

Gotta go - the wind is dying down.

Filmmakers Journal: waiting for the wind to subside to film Humboldt squid

Just a quick update from your local Bahia De Los Angeles internet cafe. The weather here in Baja, California along the Sea of Cortez has been warm and sunny . . . and windy. And that has made filming difficult so far.

I am here to film Humboldt squid with Scott Cassell and dealing with these predators can be very interesting to say the least. We sport Neptunic Shark Suits to provide protection from the squid, along with a cable harness tied to the boat (The little darlings can drag you down if they become really interested in you. And we're diving in water 250- to 1200-feet deep.

The winds make it challenging for both the divers and the local fisherman (a panga - the local fisherman's small boat - can be swamped by wind-swept waves when full of squid as it rides low in the water).

We will be back out on the water later this morning, hoping for calmer seas and plenty of squid. There is an important story behind the ecology of these animals, some of which I have posted in the past. But there's more to come.

Filmmaker's Journal: the sea reminds you who is the boss

For the past few days I was offline, as Scott Cassell, founder of the Undersea Voyager Project, and I were in Bodega Bay, California trying to film Humboldt squid.

Notice I said "trying."

It was one of those experiences where you get reminded as to who is the real boss on the water. On Day One, we left Bodega Bay and traveled 35 miles offshore to an area known as Cordell Bank. Sportfishermen having been pulling up large numbers of squid from this area. The sky was overcast but the seas were fairly calm. Northern California waters are not always gin clear and after days of prior rain, the water, combined with the threatening sky, was making filming impossible (Humboldt squid run from video lights, so there had to be sufficient ambient light for us to film).

Day Two and we're hit with another ocean gremlin: an engine malfunction with the boat. Remember, boats are holes in the water, lined with wood, into which you pour vast amounts of money.

So, a lot was riding on Day Three, the last day of shooting. The sky was cooperating with cottony patches of clouds patterned across vast expanses of bright blue. And a gentle breeze was slowly picking up as the morning temperatures increased.

Oh, oh. The morning breeze. It can be a bad indicator of what's taking place offshore.

And so we set out - a crew of six including Scott and myself. As we cleared the jetty that keeps Bodega Bay's inner waters nice and calm, we see an ocean horizon that looks like broken glass - meaning large swells and wind chop. The worse roller coaster you can think of is about to seem tame.

For several hours we plowed forward. Tom Loomis at the wheel did a terrific job handling the boat. But when we reached our destination, it was easy to see that diving was out of the question. With the boat riding in 10+ foot swells and white caps peaking from two different directions, getting in the water would have been challenging but not impossible. Getting out would have been flat-out dangerous. And there was the planned potential of a decompression dive; but with heaving seas, trying to hang on to a line at the proper decompression depth was out of the question. Scott scrubbed the dive and we headed back, both a bit disappointed and relieved.

The ocean is one of the earth's most powerful forces and must never be underestimated. Whether it's explorers looking to peer into it's depths with cameras at hand, fishermen plundering its bounty of sealife, or factories spewing pollutants into its delicate ecosystem - the ocean has its ways to remind us who is the boss; who will do what it takes to protect itself, adjusting itself to survive; and who will be around in some form or another long after we have managed to eliminate ourselves from the game.

Humboldt Squid: continues to appear outside its traditional range

Where I live in Southern California, it's been making the news that Humboldt squid, also known as jumbo squid, have been showing up in greater numbers and local sportfishermen having been having a field day, catching the squid in the early evening hours. In just the past few days, over 400 squid have been reeled in. While edible (if you like calamari rings the size of small tires!), the squid are more known for putting up quite a fight. These are very large and aggressive squid, reaching a body length of as much as 6 feet and weighing 100 pounds.

There's a very important developing story behind these occasional encounters with Humboldt squid along the eastern Pacific coast. Their traditional range was along the Mexican coast at a depth of about 500 to 600 feet. What determined their range was temperature and natural predators - two factors that dictate territories for many ocean species. But those factors have been changing.

Humboldt squid have been reported now as far south as Chile and as far north as Alaska. And they have been reported more and more in shallower waters, disrupting the populations of several commercially fished species like Salmon in the Pacific Northwest. These squid are particularly ravenous, with a very high metabolism, and they have been a major disruption to fishermen - not to mention what these predators are doing to their newly targeted prey populations.

It has been theorized that changes in ocean temperatures and loss of natural predators, like sharks and whales, are the root causes behind the squids' appearance in areas never before seen. And it poses a risk to fish populations and even divers - these squid are very fast, hit hard, and are very aggressive - even cannibalistic when a squid is injured in a feeding frenzy.

Scott Cassell, head of the Undersea Voyager Project, has become a sort of unofficial "squid guy," having spent considerable time observing and filming these animals. He has appeared in several documentaries talking about these animals and has a healthy respect for them and a measure of concern as to how they can disrupt local ecosystems along the eastern Pacific coast.



I have been working with Scott on several projects and we plan on diving with the squid shortly in Northern California. It's not something to be taken lightly. If he knows he will be having some close encounters, Scott typically wears a set of protective armor and chain mail and he has had broken bones thanks to these powerful cephlapods.

Ocean climate change through global warming and a disrupted predator-prey relationship through overfishing - two man-made changes that could have unintended ecological consequences with the expansion of the Humbodlt squid's hunting territory.

Read Los Angeles Times news article.

Species Migration: Humboldt squid - a hungry predator moves northward

When we think of "invasive species," one might think of the example of the Lionfish that has invaded Florida waters due to being initially released from a home aquarium. Or perhaps algae, seaweeds or other parasites or bacteria that get discharged from the bilges of freighters and tankers, thousands of miles away from its point of origin.

But there is also species migration, wherein a species enters into a new region sometimes because of a change in its typical prey diet or because of a change in its environment - such as temperature change.

Both factors enter into the migration that has occurred over the past several years by the Humboldt Squid - a large and particularly voracious predator.

I have had the pleasure of working on several potential projects with Scott Cassell, CEO of the Undersea Voyager Project and one of the leading experts on Humboldt Squid, a distinction borne out of his having spent more time face-to-face with these creatures than anyone else. Scott has made the rounds of many news programs to express his concern with the recent regional habitat changes of the Humboldt Squid and what it represents to the balance of the marine and terrestrial ecosystems and even the safety of humans.

The Humboldt Squid is a large deep water predator, typically found along the west coast of Mexico and South America. But over the past several years, there have been two major changes that have impacted this animal. One factor: the overfishing of shallower-water predators that either feed on the squid or on the squid's food supply - thereby establishing territorial boundaries based on depth. Without these shallower predators, the squid can and has begun to roam in search of food. The second factor: increasing water temperatures which have allowed the squid to migrate up the coast and as far north as Washington and Alaska. Another possible variable is that changing temperature and acidification upwardly expands the low-oxygen water column that the squid seems to favor.

Moving into shallower water is of concern to Scott as that can increase the likelihood of a Humboldt Squid encountering curious divers or even swimmers. This past summer, divers were regularly seeing Humboldt Squid during night dives at La Jolla, CA, near San Diego. Whether on the hunt or simply being curious, these animals are not to be taken lightly - they have powerful suckers, a beak that can break bones, and the speed and strength to drag a diver around in the depths.



The squid's migration northward is also of concern because of its ability to disrupt the food supply for other animals. They have been cited by some as being responsible, along with commercial fishing, for a reduction in the northwest population of salmon. And this can impact other animals that depend on this particular food source. As an example, Grizzly Bears count on the fat-rich salmon for building up their stores to survive the winter.

There have been other invasive species migrations due to changing ocean temperatures; in particular, several jellyfish species that have moved into both Northern Atlantic and Pacific waters and doing considerable damage to commercial fishing or aquaculture operations - their stinging tentacles spoil the catch.

But the Humboldt Squid is just not someone you want to bump into in the middle of the night. He's just doing what evolution has taught him to do, but this is one critter than can really give you the willies!

Humboldt Squid: the "red demon" moves into Southern California

Like something from Disney's Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea, the humboldt squid is a formidable predator typically found in deep Pacific waters off of Mexico and Central America. Reaching up to five feet in length and as much as 100 pounds, it is fast and aggressive with a voracious appetite.

And it is beginning to appear in shallower water off of Southern California. In San Diego, during night dives, scuba divers are encountering groups of humboldt squid, and several have moved too close into the shallows and been washed up on the beach.

According to a recent AP news report,

"Research suggests the squid may have established a year-round population off California at depths of 300 to 650 feet, said Nigella Hillgarth, executive director of the Birch Aquarium at Scripps Institution of Oceanography. Divers this summer have been encountering them at about 60 to 80 feet down, they said. No one knows how many squid are in the shallow waters, but one biologist estimated they could number in the hundreds, or possibly thousands.

'Usually where there's one squid, there's a lot of squid, so I would assume that there's a good number,' said John Hyde, a biologist with the National Marine Fisheries Service in San Diego."

Scientists are not sure why the squid have moved further north or are entering shallower waters. Explanations range from global warming to loss of prey to a reduction of natural predators. On this last point, I have read studies that have explained the bio-dispersion of various species based on the predators that feed upon them. When the predators are gone, then the species in question is no longer "corralled" as it normally would and changes in bio-dispersion or migrations can occur. In the case of humboldt squid, sharks are one of its key predators.

Whatever the explanation for the squid's movement north, there is reason for some concern. They can pose a serious risk to unsuspecting divers and their voracious appetites can severely impact local fisheries. Scott Cassell, CEO of the Undersea Voyager Project, who has spent many years studying and filming humboldt squid, recently told me that in his studies he had predicted the potential for this danger as much as ten years ago.

Another possible example of the ramifications either climate change, overfishing, or loss of apex predators - or all of the above.

Care for a calamari ring the size of your dinner plate?

Undersea Voyager Project: preserving the human experience in exploration and discovery

I had the pleasure of attending a press event for the Undersea Voyager Project that was held at one of my regular stomping grounds, the Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach, CA. It's great to attend these events as you get to meet new people with similar interests, concerns, and passions for marine conservation.

The Undersea Voyager Project is headed up by Scott Cassell, who has done considerable study and research on the Humboldt Squid - a particularly voracious predator typically found in deeper water but makes more local appearances from time to time. The primary thrust of the Project is an ambitious program involving submersibles and a variety of different marine science projects, culminating in the development of a larger submersible that will act as an undersea classroom bringing science to the general public in a very real and as-it-happens way.

I find this very exciting because throughout my involvement in marine conservation as a filmmaker and giving screenings and lectures, I have found that there is a tremendous amount of scientific data that does not get effectively translated into issues, implications and solutions for the general public to understand and appreciate. As an example, we have decades of data documenting climate change - and yet there are still many people who refuse to accept it.

Organizations like the Undersea Voyager Project can be of tremendous benefit in enlightening the public, young and old, to important issues regarding our oceans. Marine conservation must not be obscure or vague; it must be made real and tangible to all people: to the general public, to the decision-makers, and to the future generations of scientists-in-the-making.

Check out the Undersea Voyager Project web site and give it your support.