Catching Squid

For about two weeks at the end of June and the beginning of July, squid randomly started appearing on the coastline and washing ashore at Eastport and Northside Beaches. On our daily walks, we’d come across dead squid drying up or being eaten by gulls and crows on the high tide lines. At first, the squid were tiny, but as time went by, bigger and bigger squid also started to wash ashore. My parents had only ever seen this a couple of times in their lifetimes and I had never seen it before. It was pretty amazing.

One beautiful clear and cool evening at dusk as we were walking the dogs at high tide, the squid started to come in everywhere. Even though it was getting dark, we knew they were there as when they wash up, they make a squirting noise as they attempt to gather enough water to force themselves back in. I picked up a couple and eased them back into the water, only to find that they turned themselves around and threw themselves back up on the beach. In the case that they were pretty much going to die anyways, I went back to the house and grabbed a bucket to collect some. With a flashlight and some rubber gloves, Dave and I walked back and forth the beach, picking up squid and putting them in our buckets. Even if we passed a part of the beach and there was nothing, there would be a squid or two washed up there in a couple of minutes’ time. It was nonstop and we filled up our bucket within an hour. Even though neither of us had ever done that before, we did have a grand time finding them and picking them up and enjoying our night out on the beach with all the stars shining brightly in the sky.

Once we were home, we put the bucket in the shed, as it was a cool night. Otherwise, we would have placed the squid in the fridge. (This is Newfoundland- an early summer night is the same as a fridge…) The next morning, we had to clean the dead squid, which wasn’t half as much fun as catching them…

But then! Then we stuffed the fresh squid with dressing and fried them up in a cast-iron pan on the BBQ and they were delicious (as you can see in the picture and recipe below)! Mmmm.

As time went on, word spread and more and more people started to show up at the beach at high tides in hopes of experiencing the phenom themselves. We went other times to catch a few more, but mostly to share in others’ amazement of the event. It was very similar to the experience you can have in Newfoundland when the capelin come in, but of course, like I mentioned before, squid don’t come in on the beach all that often, so it was really incredibly exciting. Kids squealing and running around, adults talking in amazement. Older people talking about the changes in the squids’ behaviour from when they were children to now… It’s all a really interesting and fun learning experience!