Toledo Zoo Visit

Whale VS Squid

24 hours. That's the time period I gave myself to come up with this fun idea:

Sperm Whale vs Colossal Squid. A very true and very real clash of titans.

There has been no recorded footage of a whale and squid duking it out in the deep, simply because they are so deep when they engage in battle. Here's how I think it happens...

  Squid vs Whale - Matt Downs

Whale and Squid designs

Whales and squids are another one of those two clashing creatures that just don't get along. They are known to have the biggest rivalry of all the animals on Earth. I did some deep research about the two and I came up with an epic battle between the two. I thought it would be fun to approach them as if they were two super powered beings of the deep.

Essentially the entire storyboard began with these quick gesture doodles below:

[ See the Storyboard here ]

[ See the Animatic here ]

As always with my exotic animals, here are some unique facts that helped me create them:

Colossal Squid

Discovered in 192o's (in a sperm whale stomach), captured in 1981, and largest on record was caught in 2007 (1,091 lbs, 33 feet long)

It's the largest known invertebrate on the planet

Have the largest eye balls, measuring a little under 2 feet across.

Uncommonly rare. They hang out in deepest and darkest oceans.

They glow in order to submit prey into their clutches.

Have hooks on their tentacles.

Sperm Whale

Hunted from the 1700s to the 1900s.

Are between 50 and 60 feet long and weigh over 40 tons (80 thousand lbs!).

Uses the unique ability of echolocation.

Can hold their breath for over an hour.

They hang out in deepest and darkest oceans, and is the only whale (and mammal) that does. They can dive as deeply as 10 thousand feet.

Their heads make up 1/3 of their body.

Have the largest and heaviest brains on the planet.

Lifespan: up to 80 years old.

Moby Dick is a Sperm Whale.