Octopus opens valve, floods Santa Monica aquarium

[n2doc]

4:54 PM | February 26, 2009



An octopus today managed to pry loose a water-control valve at the Santa Monica Pier Aquarium, flooding the facility with more than 200 gallons of saltwater.

The valve is inside the sea creature's tank, and officials think the octopus grabbed hold of it while exploring.

"It found something loose and just pulled on it," said Tara Treiber, the aquarium's education manager. "They are very smart creatures."

A worker arriving this morning found water overflowing out of the tank and "a lovely little lake" on the floor — about 3 inches of water that damaged newly installed carpets, as well as walls and facades, Treiber said.

The damage could have been much worse had workers discovered the open valve later — potentially harming the sea life inside, Treiber said.

The female California two-spotted octopus has been housed at the aquarium for two months, she said.

"They are solitary but curious creatures," Treiber said.

—Andrew Blankstein

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2009/02/an-octopus-mana.html

[babylonsister]

1. I guess they're curious, who knew they were smart, too?! nt

[Strong Atheist]

2. They are VERY intelligent... nt.

[babylonsister]

3. I actually never considered their intelligence or lack of. nt

[n2doc]

4. They are extremely smart

People over the years have given them all sorts of puzzles to work out, and they do very well. They are notorious escape artists, and hate captivity. Kind of gives one pause before eating them....

[ChickMagic]

45. I can't eat them

We had an octopus as a pet in our Marine Research lab. He was so smart it was spooky. We put a bunch of things in for him to play with. He liked his flower pot because he could hide and peek through the hole to see if a human was friend or foe. We put toys inside of jars with screw on lids - he got that one in no time. We put clean child safe medicine bottles in the tank. He sure opened it better and faster than I can.

I loved Pongo. I could no more eat octopus than dog or cat.

[arcadian]

20. Evolutionary biologists think that squid will be the next dominant species on Earth.

After humans have gone the way of the Dodo.

[EOTE]

21. Do you have any information regarding that?

That sounds extremely interesting. Are these biologists suggesting that squids will develop the ability to use complex tools? I'd like to read up on that if you have any information on it.

[Solly Mack]

26. It's discussed in the series "The Future is Wild"

The Future is Wild

The multi-part series aired on TV and it looked at the future of what could very well be based on science.



It's a 3 DVD set



The squibbon (squid/gibbon)...a look at the future dominant species.

[EOTE]

32. Dupe. NT

[EOTE]

33. Thanks for the info.

I'll have to check that out. Sounds very interesting.

[CreekDog]

51. I think many humans have gone the way of the Dodo

so to speak. :P

[TwilightGardener]

5. They're so smart, they get bored easily and need something to do--

at one aquarium I visited, the octopuses (octopi?) were given plastic jars with lids to open, plexiglass shapes to maneuver in and out of, etc.

[Sal Minella]

9. Some have learned to remove screw-on lids from containers, no small feat.

[originalpckelly]

10. Do they kill spiders too?

I may be an endangered species...:-(

[TwilightGardener]

12. Yep--I was sad to learn somewhere that they actually don't live very long--

maybe a few years is their average life span. I can't remember why, but it's a shame for such amazing creatures.

[northernlights]

17. Can they open child-proof containers?

I see a future career path for them...

[Sal Minella]

41. Googling for "octopus walking" on YouTube yields video of an octopus mimicking

a coconut (in an area where waterlogged coconuts drift along in the currents) while subtly using two tentacles to "walk," and another with his tentacles arrayed in a seaweed-like position, looking like drifting vegetation while busily propelling himself along the sand with two tentacles underneath.

I don't want to get into a poker game with one of these guys.

[Donnachaidh]

6. She's obviously smarter than the dumb SOB who installed CARPETING

in an aquarium setting? Some people just use their brains to keep their ears separated. :sarcasm:

[PopSixSquish]

23. Computer Monitor - Meet Coffee

Thanks for the laugh.

[surrealAmerican]

29. I was wondering about that too.

Why would you want carpeting in an aquarium?

[ContinentalOp]

36. This "aquarium" is just a tiny little hole in the wall with a few tanks.

Maybe 1000 square feet? It's not really a real purpose-designed aquarium. Still, I don't see what the problem is with carpet. I think if you're building an aquarium you kind of assume that the tanks aren't going to be leaking water all over the floors!

[tangent90]

7. They should let the octopus design the aquarium

he would put the valve outside the tank.
:D

[luvspeas]

8. I was gonna say that!

:fistbump:

[EnviroBat]

11. All day with nuthin to do and eight arms.

I'll bet they are planning to take over the world...

[a la izquierda]

13. Better octopi than crappy banks or corporations.

"I for one welcome our new octopus overlords".

[rrneck]

22. Maybe 10,000 years

ago they decided they needed Styrofoam and they have us making it.

[dysfunctional press]

14. i once 'battled' an octopus for a shell on a night dive in cozumel.

the octopus won- it was NOT going to let me have that shell, and those little suckers are strong.

[KittyWampus]

31. that sounds like a fantastic memory/experience.

[dysfunctional press]

39. diving is a great hobby for that...

i highly recommend it for just about anyone.

[KittyWampus]

40. do you use tanks or snorkel?

[dysfunctional press]

42. tanks...but snorkeling is fun too.

it's a great excuse to go to tropical locales- and it gives you something fun to do when you're there.
we're from the chicago area, and we took our "certification" dive in a flooded quarry in southern wisconsin-but that was the last 'cold' water dive that i plan on doing.

[TahitiNut]

35. The octopuses are clearly one of the primary joys of night dives.

Almost never to be found on daylight dives, they can be everywhere on night dives just waiting to be 'tagged' by your light. Fun times.

[dysfunctional press]

37. night dives have always been my favorites...

and one of my favorite night dives was the "manta ray madness" off of kona.

one of the hotels south of kailua has lights that shine in the water- as an inadvertant side-effect, they attract krill, which attracts mantas to feed.
so one of the dive operators started taking portable bright lights on the ocean floor a little further out to attract the whole krill/manta thing away from the hotel lights. you end up diving in a school of swarming mantas.

[karynnj]

15. I'd like to be under the sea in an octopus's garden??

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cgPqmRNjoTE

More seriously, it is amazing the octopus could do that - and a shame that it likely caused some damage

[Swede]

16. I thought this was about the octomom.

Darn.

[n2doc]

18. She already opened her valve a few weeks back n/t

[Swede]

24. She also flooded Santa Monica.

[omega minimo]

19. A Santa Monica Sea Party

[AngryAmish]

25. I'm an octopus -- WITH EIGHT FUCKING ARMS

Suck it.

[AlCzervik]

27. i love them, they have a couple of them at The Monterey Bay aquarium.

I was there last summer and everyone was over at the tank with the small one, i got the big one all to myself.

[Solly Mack]

28. Big ole grin.

[Vinca]

30. That's just funny, I'm sorry.

:rofl:

[KittyWampus]

34. Local aquarium has a Skate Tank where you can pet the skates. They come right up to the edge of the

tank and look at you. Like puppies.

[IDemo]

38. With intelligence and eight arms, they'll be the perfect outsource workers

[KamaAina]

43. Spider-Man, check your inbox...

[MrCoffee]

44. Why didn't they have water in the tank to begin with?

The octopus had to take matters into its own hands.

[shadowknows69]

46. Fish 1-Aquarium-0

[leftofthedial]

47. Reports of a man answering to the name "Captain Nemo" seen leaving the

Aquarium laughing maniacally remain unconfirmed.

[Raine]

48. All those busy little arms

:-) I'm glad that all the other sea critters were OK, luckily they foumd it soon enough.

[underpants]

49. My wife just told me about this VERY FUNNY

and smart

[Generator]

50. Enough with the octo-mom already!

[nadinbrzezinski]

52. We underestimate creatures around us

(Looking at the parrots that don't cease to amaze me)

[Warren DeMontague]

53. It's the poison that, in measures, brings illuminating vision

it's the knowing with a wink that we expect in southern women
it's the wolf that knows which root to dig, to save itself
it's the octopus that crawled back to the sea.