Hello fellow divers, hope this never happens to you

Giant Pacific Octopus Attack 2007/11/11

Have you even been attacked by an Octopus?

Well, guess who had an interesting (un-nerving) experience today. My dive started with friendly fish darting around me and some beautiful nudibranch photography. My big divelight's batteries died, and I continued to dive with the camera spotting lights (very dimm). Down at 70' I saw a dark shadow emerge from rocks several feet away. As I recognised a large Octopus coming out of a crevice I though "wow, a friendly Octopus coming out to say hello". Turns out I was wrong! Before I knew what was going to happen, this creature anchored two of its tentacles around a rock and latched onto me and my camera equipment with four of the remaining tentacles. I was not happy. In self defence I pushed my burned out flashlight to the body. Nothing happened and I was getting pulled down. Now I was even less happy and was wondering "how do I get a shot of this?". Luckily I was able to get my feet/fins on a rock and push straight up. With this big effort on my part the creature decided I was not fit to be had for dinner and released me. Needless to say I hussled to shallower water after that. During the remaining minutes of the dive I stopped to take some more pictures, but kept looking over my shoulder for a sneak attack. Glad to say I was not followed. My best guess is that this Giant Pacific Octopus would have been approx. 8-10 ft toe to toe.

Another successful photoshot completed!

Derek Holzapfel
Location of attack: Pender Island, BC, Canada
www.naturediver.com

derek,

wow, an exciting story. You did the right thing by tring to make the best of the situation, by that I mean trying to get a good photograph.

the octo was being friendly, octos commonly show their friendliness by hugging its friends until they are no longer alive. lets call it "overfriendly".

the octos here in so-cal are small, but they are strong little buggers.

I've never heard of a pacific octopus injuring or killing a diver, but there is always a first time. good thing he wasn't in his crevice pulling you in, it might have been much harder to get away. then again, you might have gotten a better shot.

keep up the diving, and thanks again for sharing the story

scott

Thanks Scott;
It was quite an experience. I figure I was stalked as I went back to the same location the next week with a new light and there was no den around. Perhaps the dim focus light gave me away and it thought I was going to be a meal? Doing some google searches shows octopus taking down sharks in aquariums. yikes!
D

Where were you diving? I'm going out to the Gulf Islands on the 27th, so am wondering where this happened. I'm always afraid that the octopus will pull on my port and break a seal.

Hi Mark;
This dive was off North Pender Island in Shingle Bay. I used the Panda ocean access trail and dove out towards the point due West. This is such a rare event that you need not worry about it happening again. I dive these waters every week and it is the only really bad experience I have had in the 8.5 years living here on Pender.
D

It probably was a male in senescence. They are dying and get a bit, well, dingy. Normally they are very shy, but I've had nearly that same experience a couple of times. A friend had one go over his video camera like that.

GPS's are very strong, but also tire very quickly as you found out. As they are very big, I'm sure your experience was un-nerving.

Just don't scratch 'em between the eyes....

Here's a story in my blog: Don’t Scratch the Octopus Between the Eyes!

Jack

Saw a similar thing happen to my friend Sami a few years ago in BC. He got too close trying to take pictures and the octo decided to try and steal the camera.

Video here, not my best work. I was laughing too hard and my mask kept flooding. That's his wife Kati with the NikV "helping".

Octo vs Photographer

Clinton

Too bad no one was with me to get photos/video. Then it would have been a laugh for sure! I was lucky to get this one shot as it lunged, that was before I realized what was going to happen. Will check out your vid. thanks

Clinton, It is almost as if the octopus is cleaning up evidence, after loosing the camera of your friend, it goes for yours. :-)

Great video, lucky that nothing was damaged or seals broken! I can see why you would have been laughing

excellent story and video as well. I have simply got to get my drysuit up north from here in San Diego and get some giant octo stories of my own.
Steve

Okay, here's mine.

Aug this summer north end of Vancouver Isd.

Capt. Mike of the Nautilus has assured us that Giant Pacific Octopuses will be seen on this dive. He tells us that if you take off your glove and stick your bare hand in the cave the Octopus will latch on and you will be able to gently draw them out.

First dive I learn how to spot the Octopuses from the debris trail outside of their caves.

Second dive I find Octopuses everywhere. All in their caves. Part way through my dive buddy aboarts the dive due to leaking dry gloves. I have a wetsuit glove one one hand so I can take it off.

Seeing a large GPO in a cave I take off my glove off and put my bare hand in the hole. At first the GPO withdraws and will have nothing to do with me. On second effort the GPO latches on. I give it a few minutes. It now has latched onto my arm and each individual finger. Suckers over the end of each finger.

If you have never had "octopus", you haven't lived.

I now try to gently withdraw my had with the GPO. One problem. The Octo won't let go. I try a little harder. Still the Octo won't let go. It starts pulling me into the cave.

At this point I realize my buddy is gone.

I work the Octo try to bring my arm and the Octo out. It pulls harder than me. I look at my guage which says, 900 psi at 83 ft.. I think to my self "This can't be good" I now decide that escape is the best option. I pull hard. The Octo pulls back harder. I end up further in the cave. I now hang my camera from a ledge. I then brace both knees on opposite sides of the cave. Pushing hard I don't think I'm going to make it when the Octo suddenly lets go and I fall backwards on my ass.

At this point my friends come around the bend. I hand one of them the camera. She is terrified that she will somehow break the camera. I'm glad to be alive.

I realize then it wasn't as bad as it seemed so I try to draw out the GPO for them to see. The Octo will have nothing to do with me. It is, I believe more afraid of me than I am of it.

I am thinking of joining Mike up there late spring. When do the GPO come out of their caves? Morning, evening?
Steve

They come out late at night when it is really really dark. Really big ones come up from the deep on the full moon; looking for types like us
And sometimes, but less frequently, they will come out during the day as well.

That is a great story! GPO's are probably the smartest (non-mammal) creatures in the sea, and one of the most facinating.

My "first contact" story with these bizzare alien creates was about 5 years ago on one of my first trips up to Nanaimo in BC. It was also one of my first dives with a camera, an old Canon S40.

We dropped down to about 90 feet on the deck of the Sascatchewan (an old WWII destroyer escort) at about 10 am. Right out in the open maybe 10 feet above the deck, this 4 foot long GPO swam right toward me! I was really surprised to see him coming at me, but I kept my cool and snapped of a couple of photos.





I think he was lonely and looking for a hug because he kept on coming and latched right on to my face! I felt a little like the guy in Alien with the monster attached to his head. But I kept my cool, raised my arms over my head, and snapped off another photo. Of couse I could not see what I was doing since I had an octopus covering my mask, but I tried!



After a minute or two I gently peeled him off and he shot off to the deck of the boat and tried to blend in. It was a great experience and really exciting.

If you have not had the pleasure of diving up here in the Pacific Northwest and meeting a few GPO's, you should definately book a trip!

Nice pictures. I am amazed that you had the "calm" to snap one off while having your mask covered by this creature. Gutsy!

Gotta just love all the stories... all in a day's dive.
Lets all just remember what S.C.U.B.A. stands for..
"Some Come Up Barely Alive" lol.

LOL. Nice...all these GPO stories make me want to go up to Seattle / Vancouver BC!