August 2025 marks a century since the colossal squid (Mesonychoteuthis hamiltoni) was first named by the scientific community in 1925. Te Papa is home to the world’s only complete specimen on public display.

From deep sea to deep fame, this iconic animal at Te Papa has captured millions of hearts since her arrival, and seventeen years on she’s considered one of the museum’s most beloved taonga (treasure) that continues to inspire awe and curiosity.

Now preserved in a specially designed tank in Te Taiao | Nature exhibition, the colossal squid was originally found in February 2007 by the vessel San Aspiring, in the Ross Sea, Antarctica.

Te Papa Kaihautū | Māori Co-Leader Dr Arapata Hakiwai recalls when the colossal squid arrived at Te Papa in 2008.

“It wasn’t just a scientific marvel; it symbolised the wonder of nature and connected us to the mysterious world of the ocean. There was something very special about being able to share that with our visitors.”

For Te Papa Tumu Whakarae | Chief Executive Ms Courtney Johnston, it’s witnessing the squid’s cult following that brings her joy.

“No matter how many times I walk past, I’m always blown away by how people of all ages react to the squid – they are completely captivated.

“There’s this special moment of awe, like they’ve stumbled upon something truly otherworldly, and that never gets old.”

Adding to the centenarian celebrations, Te Papa has just been named TripAdvisor’s top tourist attraction in New Zealand, placing it in the top 1% of attractions worldwide. So, it’s official: tentacles down, the colossal squid is New Zealand’s number one attraction.

Te Papa invites everyone to celebrate this deep-sea diva by visiting the world’s only whole colossal squid on display, in the Te Taiao | Nature exhibition. Explore the squid’s anatomy, learn about her journey from Antarctica, and even touch models of her beak and tentacle.

Kerry Walton, Curator Invertebrates, is a sucker for the colossal squid, the largest invertebrate on the planet.

“I am biased, but I love the fact that the most popular exhibit at Te Papa is an invertebrate.

“This is one of nature’s most elusive creatures, so rarely seen that visitors to Te Papa are among the few in the world who get to stand face-to-face with a creature that most scientists only dream of seeing – it’s like winning the deep-sea lottery.”

Along with being a world-class visitor attraction, the national museum is home to a globally-rated research facility, and holds some of the only colossal squid specimens in the world.

“Not only do we have the only whole specimen on display, but in our collection, we hold two other large, intact specimens, plus several beaks and other parts”, adds Walton.

Kat Bolstad, Associate Professor of Environmental Science at Auckland University of Technology (AUT) and leader of the AUT Lab for Cephalopod Ecology a Systematics (AKA the AUT Squid Squad) has long studied the systematics and ecology of squids and is a regular collaborator with the national museum.

“These animals live in an enormous, remote, dark, and three-dimensional environment – and are probably avoiding us.

“Predators and scavengers, such as whales, fishes, and seabirds remain one of our best sources of information about the colossal squid”, Bolstad writes.

In 2014, the third of these complete specimens was examined by specialists in squid biology, led by Bolstad. In a shared moment of wonder, the event was livestreamed, drawing global attention and viewed by over 900,000 people worldwide.

In what seems to be the year of the squid, March saw a groundbreaking scientific moment with the first confirmed footage of a live colossal squid in its natural habitat. Captured by the Schmidt Ocean Institute’s ROV SuBastian, the footage revealed a baby colossal squid, just 30 cm long, offering a rare glimpse into the life cycle of this elusive creature.

You don’t have to be in the capital to learn about the colossal squid; Whiti: Colossal Squid of the Deep, a 32-page illustrated Te Papa Press book for children, tells the story of a colossal squid’s life; a free, downloadable colossal squid activity book is available on the Te Papa website, and a special, touring exhibition allows those around the motu to engage with an interactive display and model parts.

Colossal Squid: Freaky Features! has been touring for almost four years, been to fourteen museums and libraries across ten regions, visited by over 79,000 people, and currently on display in Warkworth District Museum until 17 August.

Colossal squid by the numbers

The colossal squid on display at Te Papa:

• is 4.2 metres long
• weighs 495kg
• has had approx. over 9 million visits.
• Over 900,000 viewers watched the examination of a colossal squid at Te Papa in 2014.
• Mature colossal squid can probably weigh >500kg.
• They live at depths of 1000 metres or more.
• They might form as much as 77% of a sperm whale’s diet.

Colossal squid facts

• Listen to this birthday special episode of the Deep-sea Podcast to learn more about the Colossal Squid.
• Its eyes are the largest of any animal on Earth.
• Its beak is strong enough to slice through bone.
• Its tentacles are lined with rotating hooks – a feature found in no other squid.
• The colossal squid, Mesonychoteuthis hamiltoni (Me-ZON-ik-o-too-this ham-il-ton-eye), is the heaviest known invertebrate.
• It is the largest member of the deep-sea ‘glass’ squids (family Cranchiidae) and is related to the ‘eerie’ glass squid (Taonius) and the ‘piglet’ squid (Helicocranchia).
• Each of the eight arms has ‘typical’ pairs of suckers at the base of the arm (near the beak), which give way to pairs of large sessile hooks midway along the arm length and then give way again to additional pairs of suckers reaching to the arm tips. This is a unique arrangement among all known squid species.
• The two longer tentacles also have hooks at the ends (on the tentacle ‘clubs’), which can swivel a full 360 degrees in either direction.
• The colossal squid has been known to science for 100 years (first named/described in 1925).
• The first known specimens were two large arm crowns found in the stomach of a sperm whale near the Shetland Islands.
• Many aspects of the colossal squid’s biology remain unknown or poorly known, including its diet, lifespan, and reproductive traits.
• Colossal squid occur only in the Southern Ocean, surrounding Antarctica.
• Despite both being large squids, Giant Squid and Colossal Squid are only quite distantly related.
• The outer layers of large squids’ tissues seldom preserve nicely, leading to specimens looking a bit ‘tatty’. However, once preserved, the specimens should remain in stable condition for many decades.

About Te Papa

Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa, known as Te Papa, is Aotearoa New Zealand's much-loved national museum, located in Wellington.

Te Papa houses the national art collection and a major research facility, and is kaitiaki (guardian) of over two million objects across mātauranga Māori (Māori knowledge), Natural History, Art, New Zealand Histories, and Pacific Cultures. Its online collection offers access to over 1 million of these taonga (treasures).

Since opening in 1998, Te Papa has welcomed over 35 million visitors from around the world, and in July 2025, was recognised as TripAdvisor’s top tourist attraction in New Zealand and top 1% worldwide. Te Papa was also named the #1 attraction in New Zealand in 2024.

As one of New Zealand's most well-known and trusted brands, it’s also world-renowned for its foundation in biculturalism, research partnerships, and internationally significant work in the repatriation of Māori and Moriori ancestral remains from collections worldwide.

The museum is free for all New Zealanders and delivers an exceptional experience to international visitors for the international entry fee of $35.

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