Why Thousands of Dead Squid Covered a Provincetown Beach This Week

It will probably be a smelly week at the beach in Provincetown after thousands of squid washed up on shore over the weekend.

Beachcombers got quite a shock around Provincetown Harbor when the sand was literally covered in dead squid as far as the eye could see. Many locals were concerned about pollution or some sort of toxin causing the mass deaths, but the truth is it's just part of a natural process.

Provincetown's harbormaster took to Facebook to explain to the concerned community why there is nothing to be worried about in the water.

Along with the video of a few squid onshore, Provincetown's MacMillan Pier and Harbor explained how they (and thousands more) wound up on the beach.

What Caused the Squid to Wash Ashore?

Though the Atlantic longfin inshore squid die off by the thousands every spring, they don't typically end up on local beaches. This species, with a short, one-year life span, usually migrate closer to the shoreline to spawn at the end of their lifecycle and then the adults die off.

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This die-off tends to happen in deeper ocean waters, where fish, crabs and other marine predators can find and eat the bodies before they make it to shore.

This year, shifting tides and coastal winds pushed the dead squid back to the beach and caused them to wash up instead.

Has This Happened Before on Cape Cod?

It's not the first time this has happened either. In the 70s and 80s, there were so many longfin inshore squid off Cape Cod that rows of washed-up squid could be spotted from planes flying overhead.

What Happens to the Squid Now?

Though the squids didn't stay in the ocean this season, they will still be a tasty meal for plenty of other animals. The Provincetown harbormaster expects crabs, seagulls, and other land critters to handle the beach cleanup.

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He noted that anyone unhappy with the sights and smells of thousands of squid on the beach can shovel them back in the water—where nature will take its course under the waves.

For now, you might want to wait a week before strolling along the Provincetown shores—the air will probably seem fresher that way.