06/07/2026
What’s with all the squid on the beach?! 🦑
Thanks to the Provincetown Harbormaster's office for clearing this up, and to Camilo Fonseca of the The Boston Globe for getting it right. It's a natural "end of life" spawning die off, pushed onto the beach by wind and tide. Don't believe everything you see, hear or read on social media!
Here's the statement from the Harbor Master's office.
Provincetown, if you’ve taken a stroll along the harbor beach lately, you may have noticed thousands of squid washed up on the sand. We’ve gotten a lot of questions, so let’s clear things up:
The squid are NOT dying from a toxic event, red tide, or pollution. This is a completely natural process! 🌊
What you’re seeing is the Atlantic longfin inshore squid (Doryteuthis pealeii) at the end of its life cycle. These squid migrate inshore to spawn — and like many species, the adults die shortly after spawning. It’s a mass spawning die-off. Add in the right combination of wind and tide, and the dying animals get pushed up onto the beach instead of staying out in the water.
Here’s the thing: this happens all the time. We just don’t usually see it, because the die-off normally happens underwater, where the bodies are quickly eaten by fish, crabs, and other marine predators. When they wash ashore, the gulls, crabs, and other land critters take over the clean-up. It’s the circle of life, folks. 🐦🦀
Will they smell? Possibly a little, as they break down. If the squid in front of your stretch of beach are bothering you, feel free to shovel them right back into the water — totally fine to do, and the tide and critters will handle the rest.
So no need to worry. Mother Nature is just doing her thing. 🙌
Questions? You know where to find us. 🧭
— Provincetown Harbormaster’s Office See less
