Aruba

In recent years the government of Aruba has shown an increased interest in acknowledging the cultural and historical importance of its native language. The rarity of observations of specimens and the extreme difficulty of observing them alive, tracking their movements, or studying their mating habits militates against a complete understanding. Islanders often speak Papiamento, English, Dutch and Spanish. No genetic or physical basis for distinguishing between the named species has been proposed, as evidenced by the placenames -- of location of specimen capture -- used to describe several of them. However, islanders are known to speak many languages. It is probable that not all of these are distinct species. The cultural mixture has given way to a linguistic mixture known as "Papiamento". The broadest list is:.

Language can be seen as an important part of island culture in Aruba. Lumpers and splitters may propose as many as eight species or as few as one. See also: Music of Aruba and the Netherlands Antilles. The taxonomy of the giant squid, as with many cephalopod genera, has not been entirely resolved. Carnival is usually held from the beginning of January until the end of February, with a large parade on the final Sunday of the festivities. Eyewitness accounts of other sea monsters like the sea serpent are also thought to be mistaken interpretations of giant squid. The holiday of Carnival is an important one in Aruba, as it is in many Caribbean and Latin American countries. However, it is thought to be impossible for a giant squid to lift its tentacles from the water.

It also connects Aruba with Europe through the Schiphol Airport in the Netherlands. The Lusca of the Caribbean and Scylla in Greek mythology may also derive from giant squid sightings. This airport has access to various cities across the eastern U.S., from Miami, Orlando, Houston, Atlanta to New York. Steenstrup, the describer of Architeuthis, suggested a giant squid was the species described as a sea monk to the Danish king Christian III c.1550. Queen Beatrix International Airport, located near Oranjestad, Aruba, currently serves the whole island of Aruba. Tales of giant squid have been common among mariners since ancient times, and may have led to the Norwegian legend of the kraken, a tentacled sea monster as large as an island capable of engulfing and sinking any ship. Tourism from the United States has recently also increased the visibility of American culture on the island. [1].

Dutch influence can still be seen, even though not much of the population is of Dutch origin. In December 2005, the Melbourne Aquarium in Australia paid AUD$100,000 for the intact body of a giant squid, preserved in a giant block of ice, which had been caught by fishermen off the coast of New Zealand's South Island earlier in the year. The origins of the population and location of the island give Aruba a mixed culture. It seems that the species has a much more belligerent feeding technique. Main article: Culture of Aruba. This may disprove the theory that the giant squid is a drifter which eats whatever floats by, rarely moving so as to conserve energy. Languages: Dutch (official), Papiamento (national language), Spanish, English. The photographs showed an aggressive hunting pattern by the baited squid, leading to it impaling a tentacle on the bait ball's hooks.

Religions: Roman Catholic 82%, Protestant 8%, Hindu, Muslim, Confucian, Jewish. Among other things, the observations demonstrate actual hunting behaviors of adult Architeuthis, a subject on which there had been much speculation. Nationality:
noun: Aruban(s)
adjective: Aruban; Dutch. According to Kubodera, "we knew that they fed on the squid, and we knew when and how deep they dived, so we used them to lead us to the squid." Kubodera and Mori reported their observations in the journal proceedings of the Royal Society. Total fertility rate: 1.79 children born/woman (2003 est.). The photo sequence, taken at a depth of 900 m (nearly 3000 ft) off Japan's Ogasawara Islands, shows the squid homing in on the baited line and enveloping it in "a ball of tentacles." The researchers were able to locate the likely general location of giant squid by closely tailing the movements of sperm whales. Life expectancy at birth:. On September 27, 2005, Kubodera and Mori released the photos to the world.

Infant mortality rate:. Later, DNA tests confirmed the animal as a Giant squid. Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.94 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.7 male(s)/female
total population: 0.93 male(s)/female (2003 est.). The squid left behind, attached to the lure, an 18-foot tentacle. Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.). These were the first photographs ever captured of a live giant squid in its natural habitat. Death rate: 6.38 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.). It took the squid over four hours to break free, during which time the camera took over 500 photos.

Birth rate: 11.86 births/1,000 population (2003 est.). After over twenty tries that day, a 26-foot Giant squid attacked the lure and snagged its tentacle. Population growth rate: 0.55% (2003 est.). The line also held a camera and a flash. Median age:. The images were created on their third trip to a known Sperm whale hunting grounds 600 miles south of Tokyo, where they had dropped a 3,000 foot line baited with squid and shrimp. Age structure:. They used a five-ton fishing boat and only two crew members.

Population: 103,000( April 2004 est.). Their teams had worked together for nearly two years to make the accomplishment. Islanders can often speak four or more languages and are mostly Roman Catholic. On September 30, 2004, Tsunemi Kubodera (National Science Museum of Japan) and Kyoichi Mori (Ogasawara Whale Watching Association) succeeded in taking history's first images of a giant squid. Spanish and English are also spoken. Approximately 65 specimens, one-fifth of all the giant squid ever found, have been found in the waters off Newfoundland; the last in December 2004. This creole language is formed primarily from 16th century Portuguese, and several other languages. Larval Architeuthis closely resemble larvae of Nototodarus and Moroteuthis, with distinctive characteristics being the shape of the mantle attachment by the head, the tentacle suckers, and the beaks.

The two official languages are the Dutch language and the predominant, national language Papiamento, which is classified as a Creole language. The search for a live Architeuthis specimen includes attempts to find live young, including larvae. Recently there has been substantial immigration to the island from neighboring Latin American and Caribbean nations, attracted by the lure of well-paying jobs. By and large, however, squid strandings remain a mystery. The majority of the population is descended from Arawak, Dutch and Spanish ancestors. A period of 90 years between mass strandings has been proposed by Frederick Aldrich, an Architeuthis specialist, who used this value to correctly predict a relatively small stranding that occurred between 1964 and 1966. No full-blooded Indians remain, but the features of the islanders clearly indicate their genetic heritage. Many scientists who have studied squid mass strandings believe that they are cyclical and predictable, but the length of time between strandings is not yet known.

The Arawak heritage is stronger on Aruba than on most Caribbean islands. It is not known exactly why giant squid become stranded on shore, but it is possible that a periodic though temporary alteration of the distribution of the deep, cold water where the squid live might be the cause. The Dutch, who took control a century later, left the Arawaks to graze livestock, using the island as a source of meat for other Dutch possessions in the Caribbean. Although strandings continue to occur sporadically throughout the world, the high frequency of strandings at Newfoundland and New Zealand in late nineteenth century have not yet been repeated. In 1515, the Spanish transported the entire population to Hispaniola to work in the copper mines; most were allowed to return when the mines were tapped out. Large numbers of strandings also occurred in New Zealand during the late nineteenth century. Having poor soil and aridity, Aruba was saved from plantation economics and the slave trade. In 1873 a squid "attacked" a minister and a young boy in a dory in Bell Island, Newfoundland.

The Aruban guilder has a fixed exchange rate with the United States dollar of 1.79:1. For example, a specimen washed ashore in Glover's Harbour, Newfoundland on November 2, 1878 was 6.1m (20 ft) long (mantle length), and one of its tentacles measured 10.7m (35 ft) long and it was estimated as weighing 2.2 tonnes. Aruba receives some development aid from the Dutch government each year. Between 1870 and 1880, large numbers of strandings occurred on the shores of Newfoundland. Deficit spending has been a staple in Aruba's history, and modestly high inflation has been present as well, although recent efforts at tightening monetary policy may correct this. A portion of a giant squid was secured by the French gunboat Alecton in 1861 leading to wider recognition of the species/genus in the scientific community. The size of the agriculture and manufacturing industries remains minimal. He first used the term "Architeuthis" in a paper in 1857.

Oil processing is the dominant industry in Aruba, despite expansion of the tourism sector. Japetus Steenstrup produced a number of papers on giant squid in the 1850s. Most of the tourists are from Canada, the European Union and other places notably the United States, which is the country's largest trading partner. Much of what is known about these animals come from estimates based on these, and from undigested beaks found in sperm whale stomachs. About half of the Aruban Gross National Product is earned with tourism or related activities. The age of giant squids can be estimated by "growth rings" in the statocyst's "statolyth" much like counting tree rings. Aruba enjoys one of the highest standards of living in the Caribbean region, with low poverty and unemployment rates. Like all cephalopods they use special organs called statocysts to sense their orientation and motion in the water.

Main article: Economy of Aruba. This makes the giant squid unfit for human consumption, although sperm whales seem to be attracted by (or are at least tolerant of) its taste. Yearly precipitation barely reaches 500 mm (20 in), most of it falling in late autumn. One of the more unusual aspects of giant squid (as well as some other species of large squid) is their reliance upon the low density of ammonia in relation to seawater to maintain neutral buoyancy in their natural environment, as they lack the gas-filled swim bladder that fish use for this function; instead, they use ammonia (in the form of ammonium chloride) in the fluid of their flesh throughout their bodies. Temperatures are almost constant at about 28 °C (82 °F), moderated by constant trade winds from the Atlantic Ocean. Because sperm whales are skilled at locating giant squid, scientists have attempted to conduct in-depth observations of sperm whales in order to study squid. Little seasonal temperature variation exists, which helps Aruba to attract tourists all year round. The only other known predator of the adult giant squid is the Pacific sleeper shark, found off Antarctica, but it is not yet known whether these sharks actively hunt the squid, or are simply scavengers of squid carcasses.

The local climate is a pleasant tropical marine climate. The size of these suction cups can vary from 2 to 5 cm in diameter (one to two inches), and it is not uncommon to find their circular scars on the head area of sperm whales that have fed — or attempted to feed — upon giant squid. On the east are Curaçao and Bonaire,two island territories which form the southwest part of the Netherlands Antilles; Aruba and these two Netherlands Antilles islands are also known as the ABC islands. Giant squid possess the largest eyes of any living creature ever, over 30 cm (one foot) in diameter, and their arms are equipped with hundreds of suction cups in total; each is mounted on an individual "stalk" and equipped around its circumference with a ring of sharp teeth to aid the creature in capturing its prey by firmly attaching itself to it both by suction and perforation. As a separate member state of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, the island/state has no administrative subdivisions. The reproductive cycle of the giant squid is still a great mystery, but what has been learned so far is both bizarre and fascinating; male giant squid are equipped with a prehensile spermataphore-depositing tube, or Hectocotylus, of over 90 cm (three feet) in length, which extends from inside the animal's mantle and apparently is used to inject sperm-containing packets into the female squid's arms — how exactly the sperm then is transferred to the egg mass is a matter of much debate, but the recent recovery in Tasmania of a female specimen having a small subsidiary tendril attached to the base of each of its eight arms could be a vital clue in the solution of this enigma. Oranjestad, the capital, is located at 12°19′N 70°1′W. Post-larval juveniles have been discovered in surface waters off New Zealand, and there are plans to capture more such juveniles and maintain them in an aquarium in an attempt to learn more about the creature's biology and habits.

The interior of the island features some rolling hills, the better two of which are called Hooiberg at 165 metres (541 ft) and Mount Jamanota, which is the highest on the island, at 188 metres (617 ft) above sea level. The weights of recovered specimens have been measured in hundreds, rather than thousands, of kilograms. The northern and eastern coasts, lacking this protection, are considerably more battered by the sea and have been left largely untouched by humans. Despite their great length, giant squid are not particularly heavy when compared to their chief predator, the Sperm Whale, because the majority of their length is taken up by their eight arms and two tentacles. Most of these are located on the western and southern coasts of the island, which are relatively sheltered from fierce ocean currents. . Main article: Geography of Aruba Aruba is a generally flat, riverless island renowned for its white sand beaches. The photos were released a year later.

Members are elected by direct, popular vote to serve four-year terms. On September 30, 2004, researchers from the National Science Museum of Japan and the Ogasawara Whale Watching Association took the first images of live giant squid in their natural habitat. They are elected by the parliament, the unicameral Legislature or Staten, which holds 21 seats. There were reported claims of specimens of up to 20 m (66 ft), but none had been scientifically documented. The head of government is the Prime Minister, who forms, together with the Council of Ministers, the executive branch of the government. The mantle length, though, is only about 2 m (7 ft) in length (more for females, less for males), and the length of the squid excluding its tentacles is about 5 m (16 ft). The Aruban head of state is the ruling monarch of the Netherlands, who is represented in Aruba by a governor, appointed for a six-year term. They are deep-ocean dwelling squid that can grow to a tremendous size: recent estimates put the maximum size at 10 m (34 ft) for males and 13 m (44 ft) for females from caudal fin to the tip of the two long tentacles (second only to the Colossal Squid at an estimated 14 m, one of the largest living organisms).

Aruba has its own laws, constitution, government, and currency. Giant squids, once believed to be mythical creatures, are squid of the Architeuthidae family, represented by as many as eight species of the genus Architeuthis. Aruba is a part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, but maintains full control over its own affairs except for issues dealing with national defence, citizenship, foreign affairs, and extradition. Architeuthis stockii. Main article: Politics of Aruba. Architeuthis sanctipauli, "Southern Giant Squid". Movement toward full independence by 1996 was halted at Aruba's request in 1990. Architeuthis physeteris.

Aruba seceded from the Netherlands Antilles on January 1, 1986, and became a separate, self-governing member of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Architeuthis martensi. The last decades of the 20th century saw a boom in the tourism industry. Architeuthis kirkii. A 19th-century gold rush was followed by prosperity brought on by the opening in 1924 of an oil refinery. Architeuthis japonica. The island's economy has been dominated by three main industries. Architeuthis hartingii.

Discovered and claimed for Spain in 1499, Aruba was acquired by the Dutch in 1636. Architeuthis dux, "Atlantic Giant Squid". Main article: History of Aruba. A song by the heavy metal group "Tourniquet" titled "Architeuthis" is about the mysteries of the giant squid. . In the film "The Squid and the Whale". This climate has helped tourism, however, as visitors to the island can reliably expect warm, sunny weather. The Doctor Who episode The Power of Kroll (1978) features a carnivorous monster resembling a giant squid (the largest monster ever seen in the series) which lives at the bottom of a swampy lake, and is worshipped by the natives (despite the fact that it sometimes eats them).

Unlike much of the Caribbean region, it has a dry climate and an arid, cactus-strewn landscape. In the Futurama episode The Deep South, Fry and Umbriel cheer at a fight between a sperm whale and a giant squid. Aruba is an island in the Caribbean Sea, just a short distance north of the Venezuelan Paraguaná Peninsula, and it forms a part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. The House on the Rock in Spring Green, Wisconsin has an enormous sculpture of a giant squid and sperm whale battling.
103,000 (2004)
363/km². In the Sega Dreamcast game Skies of Arcadia, the main character fights (in a ship battle) a giant squid named Obispo.
 - Total (2004 est.)
 - Density. In Command & Conquer: Red Alert 2, mind-controlled Giant Squids are one of the most powerful naval units in the Soviet arsenal.

Military of Aruba. Lovecraft is known to have squid like creatures in his Cthulhu mythos. Transportation in Aruba. H.P. Foreign relations of Aruba. Chapter 59 ("Squid") of Moby-Dick details the Pequod's encounter with a giant (or perhaps colossal) squid. Communications in Aruba. River Moth, which flows through author Jeff VanderMeer's fictional city Ambergris, is inhabited by a giant squid.

Natalee Holloway [2]. Although Tolkien's description is vague, the creature is frequently depicted as a giant squid or kraken with varying (often exaggerated) numbers of tentacles, and appeared as such in the 2001 film. Palm and Eagle Beaches. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, the Fellowship come up against the Watcher in the Water, a monster that lurks in the waters of the Sirannon, beneath the western walls of Moria. Natural Pool. In J.R.R. Natural Bridge (Collapsed on September 2, 2005 [1]). A giant squid acts as a minor character in Charles Sheffield's novel The Web Between the Worlds.

Lourdes Grotto. A giant squid fighting a sperm whale is shown on the album cover of They Might Be Giants' Apollo 18. Hooiberg. However Benchley's description of the Beast (with clawlike teeth in the center of its suckers) more accurately describes the Colossal Squid. Frenchman's Pass. Jaws' author Peter Benchley's novel Beast features a giant squid terrorizing Bermuda. California Lighthouse. A giant squid is a key player in Michael Crichton's novel Sphere, as well as in the film version.

Ayo and Casibari Rock Formations. A giant squid also dwells in the lake at Hogwarts in the Harry Potter series of books. Arikok National Park. No. Alto Vista Chapel. James Bond fights a giant squid in Ian Fleming's book, Dr. female: 82.34 years (2003 est.). Captain Nemo's submarine, the Nautilus, fights a giant squid in Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea..