PROVINCETOWN, Mass. — Thousands of dead squid washed up on a beach on Cape Cod over the weekend, prompting many questions among residents and visitors.
The squid were found in the sand on the beach in Provincetown Harbor on Saturday, according to the Provincetown Harbormaster’s Office.
“Provincetown, if you’ve taken a stroll along the harbor beach lately, you may have noticed thousands of squid washed up on the sand. We’ve gotten a lot of questions, so let’s clear things up,” the Harbormaster wrote in a Facebook post.
According to the Harbormaster, there isn’t a cause for concern because the squid died naturally.
“The squid are NOT dying from a toxic event, red tide, or pollution. This is a completely natural process!” the post stated. “What you’re seeing is the Atlantic longfin inshore squid (Doryteuthis pealeii) at the end of its life cycle. These squid migrate inshore to spawn — and like many species, the adults die shortly after spawning. It’s a mass spawning die-off. Add in the right combination of wind and tide, and the dying animals get pushed up onto the beach instead of staying out in the water."
The Harbormaster continued, “Here’s the thing: this happens all the time. We just don’t usually see it, because the die-off normally happens underwater, where the bodies are quickly eaten by fish, crabs, and other marine predators. When they wash ashore, the gulls, crabs, and other land critters take over the clean-up. It’s the circle of life, folks.”
Beachgoers bothered by the presence of the squid were instructed to shovel them back into the water.
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