Octopus – enshrouded
I now carry this with me.
I want you to carry it too – the knowledge of this Giant Pacific Octopus. I want you to feel at least some of what I felt. So here is a series of photos for you, with the backstory. 
I had my head down, slowly moving along in awe of a little species of sea cucumber that was spawning. I looked up from my focus on the small, and there, looking in my direction, was this Giant Pacific Octopus.
I backed off. The octopus backed up, into the filamentous brown algae. And then, for some 5 minutes, we looked at one another. The octopus veiled in the algae. Me, wrapped in wonder.
One of us a brief, and light-flashing visitor. The other, royalty among the invertebrates.
Octopus evolution goes back some 330 million years (before dinosaurs). That’s 1,000+ times longer than we two-legged weirdos have been on Earth (homo sapiens).
May the photos communicate some of the emotion and connect you all the more deeply to your care for this coast and our extraordinary neighbours – in how/what we buy, in our energy use, and . . . in how we vote.
Photos: April 22nd while at God’s Pocket Resort in the Traditional Territories of the KwakwaΜ±kaΜ±βwakw (the KwakΜwala-speaking Peoples). Β©Jackie Hildering, The Marine Detective.
The photos below are of the wonderful, kindred divers who joined me on this trip and the outstanding crew at God’s Pocket.
The Marine Detective 
11 Responses to “Octopus – enshrouded”
Such an amazing experience for you! Thank you for sharing your beautiful photos. They always remind of the beauty beneath the surface π Diane Snyder
The comment means a great deal to me Diane and Scott. Thank you.
Wonderful!
Thank you so much for the comment Jane.
How characteristically generous of you to share such a wondrous experience. Thinking of how that must have felt for both of you takes my breath away
Thank you so much for this kind feedback Lorrene.
Wow Jackie. Incredible. Thank you for sharing. Ang β€οΈ
Thank you so much for the comment Ang.
Your photos always bring a smile to my face! Thank you so much for sharing your amazing experiences and beautiful photos of the creatures you encounter. It looks like this octopus was playing hide and seek with you. π
Thank you so much Kathy.
thanks for bringing this to my world of wonder