Giant squid have been washed ashore on Tasmania’s coast many times. In fact, Tasmania is something of a hot spot for giant squid, according to David Pemberton, senior curator of zoology at The Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery.

But to date, all the specimens seen here in Tasmania, in New Zealand and a few other places around the world, have been dead, like the specimen above being hauled ashore at Constitution Dock.

Until now.

Leatherwood Online has a fascinating series of articles on the weird and wonderful giant squid and a photograph of the one caught on film at 900m recently by Japanese scientists here