Discuss: Deep Intellect

Have had many encounters with octopuses, and one memorable day found a mature octopus vulgaris wallowing in the shallows on a sandbank. Picked him up and released him a few times, but he (or she) didn’t seem to want to swim away, so spent much of the day transporting him around on my surfski as he made himself comfortable near the foot pedal.  Released him in 0.5m near the estuary mouth and went for a 20 minute walk.  He was still there when I returned, so picked him up again and took him home.  Have always enjoyed eating octopus, and - pickled - he was no exception.  I felt no guilt as the seagulls would have eaten him anyway - he must have been on his last legs, perhaps that was why he was on the sandbank.  They are fascinating creatures - interesting to learn that no-one seems to have been successful farming them. Thanks for the interesting insights into their behaviour.

On a science show on television, I once saw an octopus in a tank, displaying an apparently artistic patter, sort of like fleurs-de-lis.

Am I just being imaginative, or is there evidence of octopuses making “art” like this?

Thank you so much for this story. I’ve always been fascinated by octopuses and their alien beauty and intelligence. Beautiful story. You made me fall in love with that gorgeous creature. Then you made me tear up AND smile at the end. Perfect.

This was a fascinating, enchanting article. I remember the octopus we caught for the aquarium in marine biology class my senior year in high school - she laid a clutch of eggs in a concrete block, and she defended it with a rock from a sea cucumber that had wandered too close - our teacher practically bounced off the walls yelling, “She’s using a tool!” We fed her shark meat carved off a little blue we had in the freezer, and I loved the delicate way she would take pieces from my fingers.
Thanks again for the article!

What a wonderful article. I had no idea octopuses were such fascinating creatures! Thank you for publishing this.

This is one of the most fascinating and beautifully written nature articles I’ve ever had the pleasure to read.

that was lovely.

ill be your friend if your still sad :)

I am ashamed to admit that I hadn’t given octopuses much more than a shuddering thought before reading this article. Kudos to the author for a wonderfully written article, on several levels. This was a rare treat.