Squid lovers, mark April 30 on your calendars.
That's the date Discovery Channel will start filming, with the help of local TV producer NHNZ, the defrosting of a colossal squid by Te Papa Tongarewa, New Zealand's national museum.
The squid, which is actually unrelated to the giant squid, is estimated at about 25-30 feet long (calamari rings the size of tractor tires, one scientist said).
According to NHNZ, it is filming the museum's first steps toward studying the elusive creatures for a Discovery documentary slated for late 2008.
Among the squid-related sights NHNZ will be capturing, in addition to the three- to four-day defrosting in a bath of cold salt water, will be the removal of stomach contents, determination of the creature's sex and other dissection highlights.
The action will also be streamed live via a Webcam to the museum's and Discovery Channel's Web sites.
The colossal squid, which is found in the Antarctic, is not to be confused with the giant squid, which is found on the waters off the coast of New Zealand.
