Octopus Week at the Seattle Aquarium (late notice)

[tonmo]

I apologize for the late notice on this email from our friend Dr. Roland Anderson:

Hey Tony,
We are celebrating our third annual Octopus Week and the fifth annual Puget Sound Octopus Census starting Feb. 14. Since it'll be Valentines Day, we're starting with Octopus Love (hopefully), bringing together a mature male and female GPO. See attached. Thought you might be interested.
Best,
Roland

Roland C. Anderson, PhD
Biologist
The Seattle Aquarium

And here are the details:

THE FIFTH PUGET SOUND GIANT OCTOPUS CENSUS!


The Seattle Aquarium will be conducting the fifth annual census of Giant Pacific Octopuses in Puget Sound, Saturday through Monday, February 14-16, 2004 (President's Day weekend). We hope all divers in Puget Sound south of Keystone on Whidbey Island and inside of Deception Pass southward will report any octopus sightings to the Seattle Aquarium on those days (see contact information below). Information requested is:

• date
• time of day
• the exact dive site
• exact depth
• den information
• some indication of size of the octopus (tennis ball, cantaloupe, basketball, or BIG!)
• some indication of where the den is in relation to the entry point of the dive

For example: 51 feet deep, 20 yards right of the entry at Octopus Hole, Hood Canal, in a vertical crack in rock outcrop, basketball-sized body).

We hope this information can give us some indication of the relative abundance of octopuses in Puget Sound, and future surveys will give us an indication of trends in their abundance, whether their populations are increasing or decreasing.

Information about any and all octopus sightings on that day can be reported to Dr. Roland Anderson at the Seattle Aquarium:
phone: 206-386-4346
email: [email protected]
fax: 206-386-4328

Possible places to dive: Alki Pipeline, Seacrest, 4 Mile Rock Barges, Shilshole Bay Barges, Three Tree Pt., Edmonds Wrecks, Edmonds Oil Dock, Redondo, Richmond Beach, Blakely Rock and Blakely Reef, Maury Island Barges, Tacoma Narrows, Titlow Beach, Possession Pt. Ferry, Day Island, Richmond Pt. Wreck, Sunrise Beach, Keystone, Langley Tire Reef, Fox Island, Taylor Bay Wrecks, Hoodsport, Sund Rock, Octopus Hole, Hamma Hamma Wall, Hood Canal Bridge, Saltwater State Park and others.

Thanks to everyone for participating! I hope you’ll get out and dive on that weekend!

And the associated flyer:

Seattle Aquarium
What’s beneath the surface
See Touch Explore

MEDIA/CALENDAR ADVISORY Contact: Laura Austin (206) 386-4329
Tim Kuniholm (206) 386-4345
January 9, 2004

“OCTOPUS WEEK” AT THE SEATTLE AQUARIUM
February 14-22, 2004

WHAT: It’s President’s Day Weekend, it’s mid-winter break, it’s Octopus Week at the Seattle Aquarium! Join us for nine days of fun and learning about one of the coolest creatures in Puget Sound. Highlights of Octopus Week include:
• Octopus Blind Date, Valentine’s Day, Saturday, 2/14 starting at noon. Aquarium biologists will pair a male and female in the same exhibit, and see what course nature takes. Visitors will learn about the life styles and life cycles of the giant Pacific octopus.
• Giant Pacific octopus releases Sunday, 2/15 and Saturday 2/21 at noon. Say good-bye to some of The Aquarium’s giant Pacific octopuses as biologists release these incredible creatures into Elliott Bay. Watch live video monitors as divers follow the animals as they take up new residence beneath the pier at the Seattle Aquarium.
• Octopus craft activities for kids daily 2/14 - 2/22, from 10am to 5pm
• Daily octopus feeding and talks.
• Octopus Play Days on Monday 2/16 and Friday 2/20. See how the octopus responds to different toys put in the exhibit. Can an Octopus open a jar?
• Fifth annual giant Pacific octopus census 2/14-2/16.
Puget Sound divers are asked to search for and report all octopus sightings to Aquarium staff over the three day weekend.

WHEN: Saturday, February 14 through Sunday, February 22

WHERE: The Seattle Aquarium, 1483 Alaskan Way, Pier 59, Downtown Waterfront.

INFO: All Octopus Week activities are included in admission to The Seattle Aquarium. Aquarium admission fees are as follows: Adults (13 and older) $11.50; Youth (6-12) $7.50; Children (3-5) $5.25; Children two and younger are admitted FREE. Discounts are available for school groups and other groups of 20 or more with advance registration. Call 206-386-4300 during regular business hours. 24 hour general information line: (206) 386-4320, or visit our Web site www.seattleaquarium.org.
###

The Seattle Aquarium is a division of Seattle Parks and Recreation
Gregory J. Nickels, Mayor
Ken Bounds, Superintendent
Bill Arntz, Director

Apologies to Dr. Roland Anderson who submitted this to me on Feb. 10th, but I'm just getting to post it now. Thanks Dr. Anderson as always!!

 

[WhiteKiboko]

i was wondering if they were going to do that again.... i hope the barry white sets the mood properly this year....

 

[tonmo]

The press coverage begins, with pic of Dr. Anderson and onlookers... Alas, Loki and Freya didn't really hit it off... :|

Handle this octopus with kid gloves -- up to eight of them

 

[tonmo]

It's that time of year again --

 

[erich orser]

Being a quarter-Norse in heritage, I like how the Seattle Aquarium tends to name their GPOs after Viking deities.

 

[Jean]

Well Erich I think it's better than some of the names we've had.... we tend to let school kids name ours! we've had Dr Mike, Plasma, Legs, Harry, Henry, Mrs Henry, Trev, Arrow, Midget, Octavia (it was male!!!) and now............wait for it........drum roll please...trrrrrrrrrrrra rrrrrrumpty............. Squidgy !


J

 

[erich orser]

Oy vey! I mean, Uff Da!

 

[erich orser]

By the way Jean, love the drum roll.

 

[corw314]

What I wouldn't give to be part of the octo count!!! Jess and I just returned from Florida and I have the diving bug back!!! I am certified but haven't been in for years. May have to rectify that this spring!!!!

 

[Jean]

By the way Jean, love the drum roll.

Why thank you kind Sir

J