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Beware the Kraken!
Thousands of sailors went to sea in the Age of Sail; many never returned. Lost without a trace, their loved ones ashore were left wondering what happened to them. We can assume that many ships were lost in storms, but if there were no survivors, then no one was left to give testimony about what had befallen them. In an attempt to explain these mysterious disappearances, people concocted all kinds of stories of supernatural phenomena and giant sea creatures that preyed on ships and sailors.
Few were as terrifying as the threat of the Kraken, the legendary tentacled sea monster that sailors feared would grab their ships and pull them beneath the waves to their deaths. Was there any truth to the legend?
Large cephalopods—marine animals with tentacles, such as squid and octopuses—fit the description pretty well. Reported sightings of giant squid date back hundreds of years, but the animal is so elusive that no one had ever captured a photo or video of a live giant squid until 2004. We know now that there is an even larger squid (by mass)—the colossal squid (Mesonychoteuthis hamiltoni).
What about the octopus, like the one depicted in this painting by Russ Kramer? The largest octopus ever recorded was a Giant Pacific Octopus, which measured 30 feet across and weighed more than 600 pounds, although most are closer to 16 feet and less than 200 pounds.
Could any of these creatures grab and sink a ship? Not likely. Even the smallest oceangoing ships in the Age of Exploration were about 40–50 feet in length, not small enough for an octopus or squid to wrap its tentacles around.
Could a marine animal damage or even sink a ship? Yes! The most famous example is the sperm whale that sank the whaleship Essex in the South Pacific in 1820. In the last four years, pods of orcas have wrecked at least seven boats near the Strait of Gibraltar, one as recently as May 2024. Scientists interpret the orcas’ behavior—ramming boats—to be a form of play. Fun for the whales, but not so much for the people in the boats.
Should sailors be afraid of sea creatures? Not really. But, respecting wildlife of any kind is always your best bet, for your safety, and theirs.
Did You Know?
Damage to wood by the shipworm clam was often extensive enough to sink a ship!
As a tiny larva floating in the ocean, the clam lands on the hull or piling of a ship and immediately begins to grind into the surface of the wood with its shells.
How did Christopher Columbus and other mariners protect their ships from the shipworm?