Dover Air Force Base welcomed an unusual delivery Friday morning: a box of two preserved giant squids en route from Spain to the Smithsonian Institution.
The Smithsonian will unveil the squids Sept. 27 at the Sant Ocean Hall, the new exhibition hall at the National Museum of Natural History.
A fisherman caught the larger squid in a net off the Atlantic coast of Spain in waters more than 1,300 feet deep, according to Smithsonian spokesman Randall Kremer.
The 26-foot creature shrunk to its current 24-foot size after it was preserved. It is the largest intact squid in the U.S. and was accompanied by a 9-foot male specimen that will be displayed nearby.
Museum officials say the squids will be valuable additions to their collection.
“The giant squid we had on view beginning in 1994 was one of the most popular items in the collection,” Kremer said. “We know that this new arrival will educate people about the importance of the ocean to each of our lives.”
The squids flew aboard a C-17 as part of Operation Calamari, named by excited Navy personnel. They flew on space-available basis and did not interfere with normal naval operations, Navy spokeswoman Karen Eifert said. The Air Force nicknamed the shipment VIS — Very Important Squid.
The squids were transferred to Dover by the Navy and Air Force in a 400-ton fiberglass tank, which was sent to the Smithsonian’s support center in Suitland. There, the squids will be preserved in a special fluid made by 3M Corp. and prepared for installation.
