Monday, September 28th, 2009
Dozens of Humboldt squid have washed up on Tofino, B.C., beaches, where an environmental group is warning people to stay away from the creatures during feeding frenzies.
Josie Osborne of the Raincoast Education Society said she counted 27 squid in the area on Friday afternoon, according to a report on the news website Westcoaster.ca.
Osborne said some were seen chasing prey near the shore of Chesterman Beach.
“If I was a surfer and I saw a whole pack of squid that was feeding I’d definitely move out of the area,” she said of the squid, some of which were a metre long.
Squid are known to attack scuba divers during feeding frenzies in Mexico and California, Osborne said in the report.
[source]
Friday, September 4th, 2009
Triathletes Sanford and Mary-Jane Schmid put on their wetsuits on August 22 and set off to swim a 1,500m lap around Lake Lillian in Invermere, British Colombia when Sanford felt something pulling on his foot. Schmid figured he’d just swum into a log, and resumed swimming.
Then he felt it again. Turns out he was being attacked by an otter. Sanford sought refuge on a nearby wooden dock as the otter continued to attack him. Finally, after fighting the beast all the way to the safety of the dock, he reached shallow water.
Schmid was able to pull his war-torn body up on the dock while the otter swam underneath. Once out of the water, he saw the chewed-up legs of his wetsuit and blood gushing from his foot. His wife took him to the hospital where Schmid was given oral and intravenous antibiotics, and a hearty tetanus shot and sent home on crutches.
[source]
