Swimming with a giant Pacific octopus
Join researchers looking for the giant Pacific octopus (Enteroctopus dofleini).
Contunico © ZDF Studios GmbH, Mainz
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News •
Octopus-inspired patch grips skin and reveals pulse through shifting colors
• Oct. 20, 2026, 10:00 AM ET (Phys.org)
Transcript
NARRATOR: They live in the ocean depths, appearing as if from another world. These are creatures that few humans have ever seen, like this frilled shark filmed off the coast of Japan. Since the turn of the century, ever more unusual sea creatures have come to light. This is a giant squid fished from Australian waters. A colossal squid appeared in the Antarctic, all 1,000 pounds of it. Calamari rings from this fellow would be the size of truck tires. But all of these creatures start out small. We're in Canadian researcher Jim Cosgrove's lab. His special field: squid and octopus. These octopus are recently hatched.
JIM COSGROVE: "This is wonderful."
NARRATOR: Jim Cosgrove needs to hurry. The baby giant octopus specimens can't survive long in the bag. The scientist deposits them in the waters off Vancouver Island. The coastal waters would be too dirty and wouldn't provide sufficient living space for the sensitive creatures. In the middle of the Pacific is the home of the giant Pacific octopus. They are said to have dragged whole ships down into the deep.
The Canadian takes us along on his research boat. Together, we want to find one of these alleged sea monsters, no easy task in the immense Pacific Ocean. The water is three degrees and full of nutrients. Everything grows a little bigger here. Jim Cosgrove soon encounters the first giant Pacific octopus of the dive. But it's not gigantic after all. It's a young specimen, only one year old. Cosgrove quickly makes friends, and their contact appears gentle, almost tender. No sign of a monster here.
The search for a genuine giant continues. Jim Cosgrove discovers a large cave. And out of nowhere the giant octopus appears. Floating like some unimaginable spacecraft, the octopus heads straight for the diver. With a span width of eight meters and a head size of three melons, the animal makes a terrifying impression. Its red tone signals excitement, but not aggression. The giant octopus wants to play. This is not without some risk for Jim Cosgrove. After all, the octopus is a species with powerful muscles, even if they're also peaceful and intelligent. This is why the scientist is fighting for the protection of these animals and demonstrating that there are no monsters in the oceans, only unusual looking life forms.
JIM COSGROVE: "This is wonderful."
NARRATOR: Jim Cosgrove needs to hurry. The baby giant octopus specimens can't survive long in the bag. The scientist deposits them in the waters off Vancouver Island. The coastal waters would be too dirty and wouldn't provide sufficient living space for the sensitive creatures. In the middle of the Pacific is the home of the giant Pacific octopus. They are said to have dragged whole ships down into the deep.
The Canadian takes us along on his research boat. Together, we want to find one of these alleged sea monsters, no easy task in the immense Pacific Ocean. The water is three degrees and full of nutrients. Everything grows a little bigger here. Jim Cosgrove soon encounters the first giant Pacific octopus of the dive. But it's not gigantic after all. It's a young specimen, only one year old. Cosgrove quickly makes friends, and their contact appears gentle, almost tender. No sign of a monster here.
The search for a genuine giant continues. Jim Cosgrove discovers a large cave. And out of nowhere the giant octopus appears. Floating like some unimaginable spacecraft, the octopus heads straight for the diver. With a span width of eight meters and a head size of three melons, the animal makes a terrifying impression. Its red tone signals excitement, but not aggression. The giant octopus wants to play. This is not without some risk for Jim Cosgrove. After all, the octopus is a species with powerful muscles, even if they're also peaceful and intelligent. This is why the scientist is fighting for the protection of these animals and demonstrating that there are no monsters in the oceans, only unusual looking life forms.
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