Giant Squid With 7-Inch Eye Washes Ashore in New Zealand

A massive giant squid washed onto shores of New Zealand last week and for scientists there, it was one of the biggest they ever saw.

Marine researchers from Kaikoura Marine Center and Aquarium spotted the squid and got hold of it before it was eaten by birds.

"Before the birds got to it - we got help to move it to the aquarium where it is safe inside a freezer with glass windows so you can see it - on display until we can do more with it," the institute wrote on its Facebook page.

When researchers got to it, the body was intact, allowing researchers to take measurements right away. "The mantle itself is over 2m long with a 19cm eye diameter! The longest tentacle is just over 5m! What a beast!" the institute wrote.

Researchers at the institute also told ABC News that the cause of squid's death remains unknown but it did not die of starvation as its stomach contained food.

Samples of the marine predator will be sent to Auckland and Otago universities for further research, the institute said.