Giant Squid: A 990-Lb. 'Colossal' Catch

Late last month a New Zealand fishing boat returned from a two-and-a-half-month deep-sea fishing expedition in freezing Antarctic waters with something extra in its cargo hold: a 990-pound "colossal squid" believed to be the biggest ever on record.

In an interview with NEWSWEEK, the ship's captain, John Bennett, said it took his 25-man crew two hours to land the beast, which surfaced barely alive, eating a hooked fish that was being reeled in. "Being alongside a creature that big is just awesome," he said. The adult male squid is being donated to research, and scientists are eagerly waiting for it to thaw so they can examine it before it goes on display at New Zealand's national museum in Wellington.