Despite my recent obsession with cetaceans, it's important to remember they're not the only cephalopod predators out there. Pretty much anything that can catch a squid will happily chow down on it, including other squid, fish, birds, and mammals.

Into the mammal category go cetaceans, yes, and humans, of course, but also the terrifying charismatic elephant seal:




I mention this because today I am talking to the Friends of the Elephant Seal about one of their friends' prey items: Humboldt squid.

Elephant seals are awesome, but they also kind of freak me out. I am about 1000% more scared of elephant seals than I am of Humboldt squid. Primarily this is because if you bump into a Humboldt squid on the beach, the poor thing is suffocating and being pecked apart by seagulls, but if you bump into an elephant seal on the beach, he will run you over.

Seriously, don't bump into elephant seals.