Witnessing the Genesis of the Globe's Colossal Octopus

The Enormous Octopus Spectacle:

Delve into the enchanting world of the Giant Pacific Octopus (Enteroctopus dofleini), a captivating creature known for its massive size and elusive nature. Originating from the Salish Sea and the Pacific Northwest seascape, it's the world's largest octopus, tipping the scales at a whopping 110 lbs with arm spans of up to 20 ft. Yet, despite its colossal size, these shy sea dwellers can easily conceal themselves by fitting into holes as tiny as their mouths, often leaving divers in awe as they catch a rare glimpse in the open.

Amazingly, these gentle giants return to the same den year after year for shelter and a hunting base. This predictable behavior allows local divers to build relationships with these fascinating creatures, learning their habits and distinct personalities. Some octopuses engage curiously, even displaying touchy-feely behavior, while others maintain a cool distance. One year, an octopus named "Olive" took up residency in Des Moines, Washington, turning her den into a local hotspot for tourists and marine enthusiasts, given its prime location known as a "diver highway."

The Ticking Clock

Although their lifespan is far greater than other octopus species, the giants of the cephalopod family only live about four years. As their time approaches, they cease eating and choose a final resting place to care for their eggs. Each egg clutch contains up to 100,000 eggs, and the mother octopus diligently incubates and aerates them with her tentacles to provide more oxygen. Aging brings a significant toll on the mother, causing her body to deteriorate, grow pale, and move slowly with each passing day.

An Unusual Story

Unfortunately, Olive's life wasn't ideal. In a tragic twist, she disappeared in the closing days of 2024, leaving her precious eggs unguarded and exposed to hungry predators such as rockfish and crabs. However, this event resulted in an extraordinary opportunity. Divers, who joined together to protect the uncovered eggs, created a fortified defense for the defenseless eggs, ensuring predators couldn't easilyaccess them. The protective divers even aided the birth process by gently circulating oxygen, sustaining Olive's legacy until her babies hatched.

A Moment to Treasure

For the fortunate divers who witnessed Olive's miraculous birth, it was an unforgettable experience they had been waiting years to capture. Knowing the secret location just minutes from the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, they sat patiently in the freezing cold water, submerged along a silty slope of sand for hours on end. And as they showed unwavering persistence, they were blessed with the sight of more delicate, ethereal specks floating like tiny balloons out of the den and squirting into the pitch-black water surrounding the divers' lights. Each transparent dot was just a few mm long – approximately the size of a grain of rice. As the hatchlings ascended, they merged seamlessly with the surrounding darkness, disappearing into the velvet fabric of the sea.

A Photographer's Dream

When it comes to capturing the unique spectacle of hatching Giant Pacific Octopus, no moment in nature could fully prepare you. However, when given the chance, you must seize it and prepare for the best results. In this instance, a 60mm macro lens on a Nikon Z8 mirrorless camera with a Bluewater focus light proved to be the ideal combination. The 60mm macro allowed for a close, detailed shot of the hatching eggs and the elusive newborns. The focus light provided the necessary contrast to enable faster and more accurate focusing in low-light underwater conditions. To capture sufficient detail, I set my shutter speed to a high 1/160s, achieved depth of field with a high f-stop of f/20, and controlled noise level with an ISO of 800 while keeping strobe power low.

Following these essential guidelines will help you produce captivating, detailed images of a hatching Giant Pacific Octopus using your Nikon Z8, 60mm macro lens, and Bluewater focus light.

The diver's relationship with the Giant Pacific Octopus is akin to guiding a curious pet, as some octopuses exhibit touchy-feely behavior towards local divers.
With a lifespan of about four years, a diver's encounter with these ocean dwelling giants can be considered a rare and cherished lifestyle moment.
At home-and-garden stores, one may find gadgets designed to mimic the bluewater focus light, useful for macro photography in low-light conditions.
In the realm of sustainable-living, the disappearance of Olive the octopus sparked an unusual collaboration between divers, fostering a community effort towards protecting marine life.
A diver's journey to capture the spectacle of a hatching Giant Pacific Octopus is akin to the pursuit of a coveted guidebook title, requiring patience, persistence, and the right technology.
As technology evolves, it allows for new and intriguing avenues in diving and underwater photography, such as capturing macro images with a Nikon Z8 mirrorless camera and a Bluewater focus light.
Dive sites hosting the Giant Pacific Octopus, such as Des Moines, Washington, can serve as a point of attraction for tourists and marine enthusiasts, transforming them into underwater hotspots reminiscent of a lifestyle magazine spread.