Octopus
Marrowstone Island
Ides of March 2012
I went to the beach tonight to collect sand samples.
I'd scooped some for a project with kids in a Seattle school,
a new protocol, collecting where I first observe small plastics
to see if there is more nearby in the substrate around the found pieces.
I'd read a journal article earlier about PCBs in albatross
and found myself thinking of those birds...........mainly becasue PCBs are carried into the ocean by plastic, among other means.......As I was scooping my last sample, I saw an eagle up ahead,
on something bigger than the usual flounder or sculpin.........The eagle was feasting on
a still living Octopus.
So, I leashed Monsoon and hurried up to see.......the Octopus was clinging to life, I am pretty
sure......even though most of its arms were gone. Its eye was so clear and when I touched it,
the body moved, elegantly as they do.....funnels opened. But so much of the body was already gone.
I've gotten to swim with these amazing creatures and have held tiny baby octopuses in my hand,
little ones stranded in tidepools clinging to me with their tiny suction discs.
But tonight, there was no saving this beautiful creature. The eagle had done far too
much damage and I can only imagine I was the last thing it ever saw in that eye.
If I remember correctly, that eye is much like our own and I do know for sure,
these creatures of the Pacific Northwest are not only the largest of their kind,
but also vastly intelligent. Playful even.
And so, I scooped up the body and shared with some kids and interested
island adults............I wish I could have saved this one.
Amazingly, in my life here on the coast, this is only the second octopus I've found stranded.
The other was just last week.........
To learn about our Pacific Giant Octopuses, visit:
Where David Sheel of Alaska Pacific University shares his many years of experience and much more!
4 comments:
Lovely note. Wish, you had posted more pics of the octopus showing its giant size though :~(
Octopus may be in senescence, which is the end of their lifecycle. May have just washed up because it has no energy left after mating. Octopus live fas and furious lifestyles and may live up to three years. Our octpus at the aquarium have bred in captivity, and we release them after mating to live out the rest of their lives in the wild.
Hope this helps
~ Marc
Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium
Sending out a prayer and blessings to this beautiful creature, despite her sad end; this post honors her life and sheds light on and awareness of how fragile and precious a life lost, and the cycle of life by which the eagle will carry on. Thank you and Bless you!
Octopi: my favorite invertebrate
Post a Comment