It’s clear that Giant Pacific Octopus is smart- Webster recalls a time she was feeding Cordelia, an octopus whose name means “daughter of the sea,” while giving a behind-the-scenes tour. “I went down to grab another piece of food, and there wasn’t any left,” she says. “She had it in her arms. She had figured out where I kept her bin, and she had reached in, grabbed it and pulled it back out. They’re very smart, very intelligent creatures, so I had to learn to move the bin around.” 📝: @nationalaquarium
As much as I hate to admit it, our feisty little kraken is getting old, and she has been getting old for a couple of months now. Senescence, or aging, in octopuses is a very natural part of their short life cycle. For the small species I work with like this common octopus, they only live one or two years at most both in the ocean and in human care. Though this is a known and expected part of working with these animals, it doesn’t make this process much easier to witness, nor does it prevent me from getting way too attached to each amazing individual.
Our little nugget is eating (albeit less enthusiastically) and shows interest in interacting with both us aquarists and the enrichment we give her, but she won’t be for long. And it sucks. It sucks so so so much.
But, I am so happy for the short time I have been privileged enough to spend with this animal. Her fiery and often troublemaking self has taught me so much about enrichment, habitat design, animal intelligence, and the incredible joy that comes with being an aquarist and working with all of our amazing animals. I’m going to miss this crazy little lady so much.
