Some local scuba divers are opting to stay away from La Jolla waters, after word of Jumbo squid attacking under water is sweeping through the tight-knit community.

According to the Associated Press, thousands of 5-foot-long jumbo flying squid are washing up dead on the beaches, but live ones are also in shallow waters attacking humans underwater.

“La Jolla is probably not a great place to go right now,” said local diver Peter Corliss. “I’m not planning on doing any La Jolla night dives.”

Orange County had its introduction to these massive sea dwellers a few years back, when more than 1,000 of them mysteriously washed up dead on shore in Newport Beach.

The Orange County Register’s Pat Brennan the other day wrote about local fishermen catching them off Huntington Beach – a signal that they may be heading toward local shores. Just last night, Davey’s Locker out of Newport Beach reported 163 of the squid caught on one of their charter boats.

It seems they’re back in So Cal – with a vengeance.

On the diver’s e-mail list through ocdiving.com, tails of long tentacles grabbing at divers gear or trying to take a chunks out of their head with their razor-sharp teeth has been a topic of discussion.

Diver Mike Bear writes: … “in light of the following account of an experienced diver being roughed up by one of these creatures, I’m coming to the conclusion that it’s not worth an encounter–next time, an air hose could be ripped from a diver and it could be much worse.

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