Divers within the South West are reporting a growth in octopus sightings, and Kirsty Andrews is all in.
Up till not too long ago, I might have stated that the widespread octopus is, paradoxically, unusual – at the very least in British waters. An uncommon sight to be celebrated on a dive. Octopus vulgaris, the bigger of our two native UK octopuses, is a dominant presence on a reef, reaching over a metre in size and weighing as much as 9kg, unmistakeable because it reaches its highly effective, textured arms into cracks and crevices seeking tasty crustaceans. With a worldwide vary, the South Coast of England is in the direction of its most northernmost attain, in contrast to its smaller relative the curled octopus, which I’ve seen everywhere in the UK, and way more commonly.
During the last 12 months or two I’ve headed to Porthkerris in Cornwall seeking widespread octopus; a number of had been seen commonly on the home reef there, together with a feminine who died final 12 months tending her eggs – and the sightings drew divers like bees to honey. The Cornish Wildlife Belief was speaking in 2022 of a Cornish inhabitants growth and famous that, whereas not common, over time a number of remoted main octopus ‘plagues’ have been reported, going again to 1899 and 1948.
Why the sudden growth, I ponder. It happens to me that the continuing resurgence of crawfish might have one thing to do with it
Thrilling as these earlier sightings had been, they’ve been eclipsed fairly, as within the first half of this 12 months there was what I can solely describe as a inhabitants explosion. My buddy and I first noticed one on our native Devon shore dive, so went again and there have been two, after which 5 separate people simply off shore. It didn’t cease there in fact as a result of the following weekend, divers on our boat noticed them on each website we tried, together with, surprisingly, midships on the Scylla, which I actually wouldn’t have picked out as a main octopus location.
UK diving social media, all the time an envy-inspiring supply of knowledge, confirmed that I wasn’t simply terribly fortunate – many different dive boats in Devon and Cornwall had been reporting the identical. And it wasn’t simply our personal neighborhood: fishermen have been reporting citing numerous octopuses of their pots this 12 months.
Why the sudden growth, I ponder. It happens to me that the continuing resurgence of crawfish might have one thing to do with it; as I’ve famous on this column, they’ve been coming again in vital numbers themselves, and that will present ample meals to maintain their predator.
The Mewstone ledges outdoors Plymouth are one of many hotspots for crawfish (I counted over 20 in a single crevice on my most up-to-date dive) and it’s there that I’ve had among the most memorable latest octopus encounters too. Having stated that, if the proof outdoors one of many dens I noticed is something to go by, our eight-legged buddies have a particular style for scallops.
As all the time, the extra info we collate and share, then the extra we be taught. Has this growth made its method to Dorset but, or Wales, or additional North? Sadly for such an impressive, clever creature, the typical lifespan of this species is known to be solely a few years. This newest ‘plague’ might disappear as rapidly because it arrived, however I for one rejoice at seeing them so commonly and hope they stick round.
Article ‘The Yr of the Octopus’ by Kirsty Andrews first revealed in SCUBA journal, Challenge 157 July/August 2025.
