On September 11th, 2024 in the remote volcanic islands of Vanuatu something most bizarre occurred. It was a brisk Tuesday morning like any other on the islands, with the tropical sun rising over Mount Yasur, its peak still steaming from the volcanic vents within. The local birds had begun their morning songs and a calm breeze ruffled the palm trees.

A small fishing boat called The Billowing Cloud had set out before dawn from the village of Lamap on its daily rounds to check crab pots and fishing lines. Aboard were brothers Mali and Jojo, veterans of these calm blue waters. As the sun climbed higher the boys neared their northernmost set of pots, when quite unexpectedly the entire sea seemed to explod in a massive eruption of water not 100 yards from the boat. Startled cries of the brothers pierced the air, for emerging from the depths was the largest creature either had ever seen - a gigantic squid the size of their entire village!

Its bulbous body and two main feeding tentacles were taller than any tree, and its other grasping arms were flailing about snatching wildly at the air and sea. Never before seen or recorded, this true leviathan of the deep had apparently been disturbed from its resting place and was now in a panic. Terrified yet fascinated, the brothers could only watch in shock as the monster thrashed and swam aimlessly, a scene straight out of ancient mariners' tales. After what seemed like hours its struggles began to weaken, and with one last heave of its massive form, the squid slipped back down into the murky green depths from whence it came. Mali and Jojo sat stunned, having had a brush with an encounter that would surely go down in local legends for ages to come, if anyone ever believed their fantastic story...