Natural History Museum - The giant squid in our basement

Specimen spotlight Archie, the giant squid Did you know: The giant squid is a rare and elusive creature, once thought only to exist in stories of sea monsters called krakens. This specimen (fondly known as Archie) was caught at a depth of 220 metres. The DNA samples taken from Archie helped to prove that there is just one species of giant squid: Architeuthis dux.   Info: Size: 8.62 metres long Found: by a fishing trawler off the Falkland Islands in 2004 Current location: the spirit collection Read more about the specimen Explore more How to move a shark Discover some of the 20 million animal specimens stored in alcohol in the Museum's spirit collection and watch as curators preserve a shark. Watch now   Squid art in squid ink Watch as Artist Alice Shirley paints the Museum's giant squid specimen using fresh squid ink and explains her fascination with the creature. Watch now   Craft a colossal creature Royal Museum's Greenwich The colossal squid lives in the freezing Antarctic waters. 2020 marks 200 years since the first confirmed sighting of Antarctica - to celebrate, here's how to create your own squid out of recycled materials. Find out more   Nature Live Online Hang out with the Nature Live Online team on Tuesdays at 12.00 and Fridays at 10.30 for interactive talks with our scientists featuring topical discussions and cutting-edge research. Next: Wasps! Tues 22 May 10:30 Find out more