However,
tales of such creatures (1) (have been) common for many centuries, inspiring
fear and fascination among sailors. Towards the end of the nineteenth
century, a number of dead giant squid (2) (WASHed) up on the shores of
Newfoundland, which (3) (FORCEd) scientists to rethink their opinion.
However, all their attempts to capture a live specimen (4) (ENDed) in
failure. Then, in 2004 two Japanese researchers (5) (were) successful in
taking the first ever photos of a giant squid in its natural habitat.
They were astonished by what they (6) (saw). Up until that point, the
scientists (7) (had thought) that squids rarely (8) (MOVEd) and simply (9)
(ATe) whatever drifted by, but the photos (10) (REVEALed) that they (11)
(had MISUNDERSTooD) the nature of these enormous creatures. Taken at a depth
of 900 meters off Japan’s Ogasawara Islands, the pictures show the
squid aggressively attacking bait on a line. Now marine scientists
worldwide (12) (are) eager to discover more about the nature and
behaviour of giant squid.