A Pacific Octopus – IN THE WILD!
This is by far the coolest thing I’ve seen since we moved here.
We’ve had a great visit with our friends, Jamie & Gord, from our North Bay posse. I love Ukee, and it has been so much easier to make friends here than we ever expected… there’s just something about old friends that makes me feel grounded. North Bay peeps, you’re my tribe.
We took the guys on a hike to the fabled “Blow Hole” yesterday, and stumbled upon (almost literally) this wild pacific octopus in one of the intertidal pools. The Octopus seemed as excited to see us as we were to see him.
He LOVED Jamie, who was wearing a bright red coat. He squirted five feet across the pond and used his legs to lift his eyes out of the water and take a really good look at Jamie. The octopus then blushed bright red – a perfect match to the coat! Jamie crouched down as the octopus approached the edge of the pond, and opened his coat, revealing his brown t-shirt. In a flash, the octopus changed to match the t-shirt. Then the creature curled himself into a ball and changed to match the barnacled rock in the pool beside him. It was like the octopus said “Red? Yes I can be red. Brown? That’s easy! Your turn – can you be a rock?”
The octopus approached all four of us individually, spreading out and rolling towards us, showing off the marvelous array of shapes and colours he could become.
It was absolutely incredible, an amazing experience.
I’ll write a proper entry, pictures and all, when I’m better rested.
That's the life! 
How cool was that? You had the most amazing experience, my God, you are SOOOO lucky!
Was he trapped in the tidal pool, do you think?
Funny how interested he was in you guys – what a great experience for your visitors, too!
By: Kim on March 27, 2010
at 10:41 pm
I’m certain he was not trapped there. Octopuses are amazingly strong and agile. He likely climbed up the cliff and into the pools during high tide. The intertidal pools held many sea urchins, starfish and mussels, so I’m pretty sure he scaled the cliff for the food, or just to see what was there.
I heard of an octopus in an aquarium once that would leave it’s tank, crawl out the door, down the hall and into another tank, eat all the fish, and THEN return to it’s own tank! The scientists had to set up a video camera outside of the fish tank trying to figure out what was taking their fish – and they were stunned to discover the real culprit.
These guys are shape-shifters, they can pour themselves through a hole the size of a loonie.
By: ukeedog on March 28, 2010
at 7:09 pm
That is so neat! Cannot wait for the pics!
By: R on March 28, 2010
at 3:35 am
How cool! I would love to have seen that and how lucky you were to actually capture it on the camera.
By: Christine on March 28, 2010
at 3:29 pm
That’s absolutely amazing!
I find it completely fascinating that the octopus was just as curious about you, as you were about it. It’s like it wanted to experience your color.
I’m so jealous. What a great place to live!
By: Shannon on March 28, 2010
at 8:01 pm