Jared's diving pics (octopus)

[Jared]

I recently got back from a month long research cruise north west of hawaii. Unfortunately, the research cruise had nothing to do with cephalopods. Fortunately, I got to spend ten days diving on Oahu before the cruise. On one of the dives someone found a tako (that's japanese for octopus and that's what they call them over there). We played with him for a while and I took some pictures. The tako wasn't too happy about being played with but was soon returned to his home unharmed. I botched the exposures a little bit but a few of the pictures came out alright.

 

[Jared]

One more:

 

[Jean]

Great pics Jared

I recently got back from a month long research cruise north west of hawaii. Unfortunately, the research cruise had nothing to do with cephalopods.

What're you researching????????

J

 

[tonmo]

Yeah Jared, thanks for sharing those pics!

 

[corw314]

Excellent Pictures!! That was one pissed off octopus!!!! You can even say you got inked!!!!


I'm certified but haven't been in, in a long time. Really need to rethink this!!!

Carol

 

[Jared]

Great pics Jared

What're you researching????????

J

I was an intern on a cruise so technically, I wasn't really researching. I was just helping someone else research. My main job was diving out in the middle of nowhere (near the surface in really really deep water) to collect Rhizosolenia mats. They're a colonial diatom that floats around out there looking like hairballs and vertically migrating.

I did get to see some squid out there but not while I was in the water. I saw some redish squid up at the surface while we were putting instruments over the side at night. I think they liked our bright deck lights. They were shaped kind of like Dosidicus (perhaps a bit narrower) but they seemed to have more intricate coloring than I've seen on the Dosidicus (in videos, I haven't been fortunate enough to see one of those guys in real life). They ranged in size from around a foot to somewhere around two or three feet. This was out near midway island. Anyone have any ideas on what squid these might have been?

 

[Jared]

Excellent Pictures!! That was one pissed off octopus!!!! You can even say you got inked!!!!


I'm certified but haven't been in, in a long time. Really need to rethink this!!!

Carol

Yeah, that poor tako expended quite a bit of ink on us. He was on my hand for a while though and was positioned so that he could have bit me if he was so inclined. I've been told (by not particularly reliable sources) that octos will bite if you're actually hurting them. I'd like to think that the lack of a bite is an indication that we weren't actually hurting him.

On a recent night dive in monterey, I saw four red octopuses out and about but it was a dive for a class I was taking and I didn't have time to hang out with them. I really want to go back to that spot soon and see if I can find them again.

 

[pipsquek]

Diving in Monterey

Jared, do you still live in Monterey? I have yet to see an octopus here(would probably help if I did a night dive) but would really love to. Maybe you could gimme a little hint as to where to look for them.

 

[Jared]

You should do a night dive off of san carlos beach (near the coast guard breakwater). If you go out to the eel grass and swim around for a while, you're bound to find some red octopus. I've still never seen a ceph of any type during the day around here.

 

[cthulhu77]

Fantastic pics...octo4 could be a comic book cover!!!!