Watch | Nine-foot-long giant squid found stranded on Sea of Japan beach
Squids
On April 20, a nine-foot-long giant squid was discovered stranded on a beach in what local authorities described as an uncommon event.
A local citizen observed the squid at Ugu beach in Obama, Fukui Prefecture, on the Sea of Japan coast, at 10 a.m.
The squid was still alive when it was discovered, according to the Obama Municipal Government.
Officials say it's unusual for a gigantic squid to wash up alive on the beach.
The deep-sea creature will be brought to Sakai Prefectural City's Echizen Matsushima Aquarium.
Squids of this size can only be found in the deep sea.
According to National Geographic, a more elusive squid reaching 24 feet was caught and brought to the surface by experts at Japan's National Science Museum in 2006.
In 2004, the first photographs of the female squid were captured.