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The skipper of the Nelson trawler that netted world's biggest and best specimen of an adult colossal squid says it was a dream come true for him.
"I've been a fisherman for 30 years and have always dreamt about things like this," said John Bennett, 48.
"I've read all the famous books like Twenty Thousand Leagues Under The Sea, and this really was like something from fiction."
He was fishing near Antarctica when the squid was hauled to the surface while dining on a toothfish hooked at a depth of about 1800m.
"It was awesome," said the skipper of Nelson longliner San Aspiring.
He knew straight away he had caught something very special.
"I knew instantly what it was and that it was the biggest retrieved, because I caught the first one in the same area of the Ross Sea in 2002 and have an interest in keeping abreast with information from around the world."
Nine crew took two hours to carefully envelop the near dead 10m-long squid in the ship's cargo net using long poles, then to cradle it and lift it on board with a crane.
The crew thought it would not have survived, if released.
"To see one of these things up so close is a real privilege and I was concerned about preserving it in perfect condition for scientific research, allowing other people to see it and experience it as we had," Mr Bennett said.
His wife Sue, 46, was also on the 70-day trip, and saw the colossal squid being retrieved, he said.
"We couldn't imagine anyone catching a bigger more perfect one, especially because we were lucky that the sea conditions were ideal and beautifully calm."
Freezing fog and a sea temperature of minus 1.5degC made the retrieval "quite tricky".
The squid was taken below deck and put on ice, taking up two thirds of the 1200 litre container.
"We've always got room for special things like this on board," Mr Bennett said.
"A large part of what we do is all about gathering scientific data and I'm proud to be able to contribute to research activities."
The squid -- now on ice in a Timaru coolstore -- is set to attract scientific interest from around the world.
Early estimates put the squid at 10m in length and weighing up to 450kg -- 150kg heavier than the next biggest specimen found, an immature female caught in 2003.
Scientists who have tasted giant squid say they have so much ammonia in the flesh that it is like eating floor cleaner.
"He just appeared as a great, big, dark shape coming out of the depths," Mr Bennett said.
"He was wrapped around a 30kg toothfish and he was just munching away on it."
Fisheries Minister Jim Anderton praised the fishers for interrupting the recovery of their longline for two hours to capture the squid.
This happened three weeks ago, but was only announced yesterday.
The squid will be sent to the Museum of New Zealand in Wellington for scientific study.
Examination of it will help to answer questions such as such as how large the species -- Mesonychoteuthis hamiltoni -- grows and how long it lives.
Only a few colossal squid have previously been sighted and the latest catch was thought to be only the second which is intact.
- NZPA
