Octopus versus shark: who would you bet on?

[Wise Young]

If you put an octopus in a tank of 4-6 feet sharks, who do you think would eat the other? This video gives the answer.

http://www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/octopus/media_players_blue/shark_hi.html

[emilstringer]

Wow. I'm awestruck. Is that typical? What is the explanation?

[Lindox]

In an aquarium I would bet on the octopus due to their agility and lack of bones. In the open ocean...well I would give an advantage to the shark. Not with a grown octopus unless he was to far away from some crevice he could slip into. But to smaller octopi they would be lunch if in the open water.

[In the wind]

Anyone notice that the octopus seems very agitated at the very beginning of the video. When they turn red and knotty like that that’s a good sign it’s pretty pissed off….

I’ve seen another demonstration of 1 octopus watch another 1 in an adjacent tank unscrew the lid from a mason jar to get at the food inside then immediately open its own jar to get at the food..something it had never done before and learned just by watching…….

[XYNaPSE]

I think the octopus is awesome. Here is another video showing how cool they are.

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-9203354934457918497&q=octopus&hl=en

I've heard of an octopus climbing out of its tank into an adjacent one and eating all the fish, then go back to its own tank. Very smart animal.

[Wise Young]

One possible sign of the intelligence of octupuses is the virtual lack of reports of deadly octopus attacks on human scuba divers. There is no question that they can do significant damage, as the following report of an octopus attack of a submarine suggests:

http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/tm_objectid=16600851&method=full&siteid=66633&headline=sub-sandwich--name_page.html
19 January 2006
OCTOPUS TRIED TO EAT SUB
Giant octopus tries to devour a submarine
By Cara Page

A GIANT octopus almost ate a submarine when the £75,000 craft invaded its territory.

The 18-foot sea monster wrapped its tentacles around the remote-controlled sub's cable and hauled itself towards it.

Then it grabbed the vehicle and tried to bite through its metal skin.

The sub's amazed controllers used its thrusters to fire sand and grit from the seabed at the octopus, forcing it to let go.

And when they got the vehicle to the surface, they found two pieces of tentacle, each as thick as a man's arm, still attached to it.

The 80lb octopus pounced as the ROV (remotely operated vehicle) tried to move a cable on the seabed.

Chris Tarmy, whose company supplied the sub, said yesterday: "The octopus was obviously irritated by the ROV. It was a terrifying sight as it came galloping along the cable to attack.

"These creatures have terrific jaws and the sub's surface pilot was very worried that we could have lost it. But as the octopus engulfed the ROV with its tentacles, the pilot slammed its thrusters into reverse.

"Luckily, after a bit of a battle, the octopus let go.

"When we got the ROV back to the surface, it had these two big bits of tentacle stuck to it."

The 110lb, four-foot sub, supplied by Hampshire firm Seaeye, was working off Vancouver Island in Canada when it was attacked.

But the video itself doesn't match the story (Source (http://www.cbc.ca/health/story/2006/01/27/octopus060127.html)). The octopus attack of a submarine occurred only after the submarine annoyed the octopus with a blast of air and that may have provoked the attack by the octopus and it lasted only a few seconds. (Source (http://irregulartimes.com/index.php/archives/2006/01/28/octopus-dofleini-attack/)).

Here is a rare video of an octupus attack off a scuba diver...
http://www.metacafe.com/watch/124311/octupus_vs_man/
I am wondering if the octopus had made a mistake and let the guy go after it realized that there was a man under the mask. Likewise, there is the question of why the person who was filming the attack did nothing to help (Source (http://digg.com/videos_educational/Angry_Octopus)).

I did a google search for octopus attacks of humans and was unable to find any other attacks of humans. Although there have been fictional accounts of octopus attacks and even one actual claim of a giant octopus attacking a boat (Source (http://www.cbc.ca/health/story/2006/01/27/octopus060127.html)), I was unable to find other references to octopus attacks. This is despite the fact that divers frequently encounter the giant octopus (Source (http://www.squidfish.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=1209&pid=7678&st=0&#entry7678)) and have swum alongside them. Although there are a number of reports presume that octopus would not leave the bottom to attack an object bigger than themselves (Source (http://web.ncf.ca/bz050/goattack.html), the video of the octopus attack of the sharks clearly shows that this is wrong. An octopus appears to be able to subdue a swimming shark that is many times its size and weight. And, it seems that they eat the sharks, too. But, octopuses seem to know not to attack humans. This is despite the fact that they have a very short lifespan of 6 months (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Octopus :

How many hearts do they have? Octopuses have three hearts, one of each of its two gills and one for the body. Talk about hearty creatures.
How intelligent are they? Octopuses are the most intelligent of invertebrate animals. Various behavioral and maze tests indicate that they not only have remarkable ability to solve mechanical problems (such as opening jars of food) but they have good memories. They can be trained to recognize a variety of shapes and patterns. They like to play.
Can they regenerate their tentacles? Octopuses can regenerate their tentacles. In fact, detaching their tentacles is one defensive mechanism. Two thirds of their nervous systems are located in their tentacles, which suggests that they can regenerate their nervous system. Reflexes of the octopus tentacles arise from local neurons as well as in its central nervous system.
Can they change their spots? Octopuses can amazingly change their surface patterns to match the ground below them. They can even change their coloration to mimic other predators.
How do they have sex? The male octopus perform sexual acts with a special arm called a hectocotylus which inserts a sperm packet under the female octopuses hood.
How do they swim?. They swim by jet propulsion, by contracting their mantle and expelling water that can be aimed with a muscular siphon.

Humans have long eaten octopuses. Some are kept as "pets" although it is very difficult to contain them in aquaria because of their intelligence and ability to get out of almost any environment. They can go even some distance out of water. Their short life span of 6 months or so also limit their term as pets.

Finally, what is the plural of octupus? Apparently, it is "octopuses" and not "octopi" as thought by many people. The Fowler Modern English Usage says that the word is not latin by rather latinized greek. However, the Miriam-Webster and Oxford English Dictionary contain entries for octopi.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/49/Polbo_pulpo_galicia.jpg/800px-Polbo_pulpo_galicia.jpg
The octopus has huge eyes and very good vision that apparently do not perceive color.

[WM]

I can't play the video. Someone please tell me that they didn't put these creatures in a tank and film a bloody aftermath! If so, that's just wrong. I hope this was something shot in the wild, under natural conditions, not a "let's see what will happen if...." kind of thing. ugh.......:(

[Wise Young]

I can't play the video. Someone please tell me that they didn't put these creatures in a tank and film a bloody aftermath! If so, that's just wrong. I hope this was something shot in the wild, under natural conditions, not a "let's see what will happen if...." kind of thing. ugh.......:(

WM, don't worry. It wasn't an experiment. The keepers of the Seattle aquarium had put sharks and octopuses together is a very large tank, thinking that these two species would not interact deleteriously with each other. They were puzzled when they realized that the number of sharks kept declining in the tank, disappearing. So, they set up a video camera and documented octopuses capturing and killing large sharks. This is the first time that octopus were observed to eat something other than small fish and molluscs.

Wise.

[Lindox]

If the octopus in the tank got the shark into their tentacles which if the shark didn't have a free range to get away... is highly likely..the shark would drown. WALA snack time for the octopus.

It has been witnessed dolphins at play will grab a fish by it's tail and pull it backwards. Never long enough though to cause it harm. Which it well could if they didn't let it go. Octopus must mean business.

[XYNaPSE]

If the octopi or octupuses can't perceive color how do they know when they are camoflauged correctly to match their surroundings?

[In the wind]

I can't play the video. Someone please tell me that they didn't put these creatures in a tank and film a bloody aftermath! If so, that's just wrong. I hope this was something shot in the wild, under natural conditions, not a "let's see what will happen if...." kind of thing. ugh.......

You’ll have to download and install real player to watch the video, it’s free. Just know that it doesn’t go well for the shark.

If the octopi or octupuses can't perceive color how do they know when they are camoflauged correctly to match their surroundings?

Ha, what an excellent question. Sometimes even the smartest investigators miss the most basic, commonsensical questions…

As for the attack on the diver it’s my guess that they agitated the animal for the footage, and that’s why the camera operator didn’t get more involved. Again notice that it’s red and knotty, meaning it’s already pissed off…

As for the open water question, we might think about sperm whales and their favorite prey, the giant squid. Without question they do survive some feeding encounters with the whales. If heard of whales with suckers scars more than a foot in diameter….imagine the size of that animal…

But there is no doubt that the octopus is a very, very intelligent animal

[Wise Young]

If the octopi or octupuses can't perceive color how do they know when they are camoflauged correctly to match their surroundings?

What a wonderful question!

Octopuses can also squeeze themselves through incredibly small holes. For example, an octopus with a 30 cm arm span can squeeze through a hole the size of a nickel. http://www.australiancephalopods.com/occy_defense.html While most writers attribute this ability to the lack of skeleton, the one question is how the octopus can squeeze its brain which is bigger than a nickel in diameter.

So, how does an octopus camouflage itself? In order to be exactly like the object that it is pretending to be, the octopus would have to not only know what it looks like but program all the chromophores in its skin to form exactly the same color and pattern. Even more amazing, the octopus is said to be color blind (at least its eyes are believed to be). So, how does the octopus see the brown color of the seaweed bush that it is imitating so well?
http://www.upyourvideo.net/play/-2434322413373051883.html

As they glide across materials of different textures and colors, octopuses can chaange their skin pattern coloring almost instantaneously to match their surroundings. These changes are induced by small, elastic, pigment filled sacs called chromatophores. Each square cm contains hundreds of chromatophores. Each chromatophore is surrounded by a ring of muscle fibres, under the control of the large optic lobes of the octupus.
http://www.australiancephalopods.com/occy_defense.html

They can go from all black to all white, to very complex patterns, all in less than a second, as the following video tape shows. The color changes signal their mood: white=fear, red=anger, brown=relaxation
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=4464076367795195117

Recently, Edie Widder and Sonke Johnson of the Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institution in Florida discovered that a specifies of octupus that has bioluminescent tentacles. When they examined it closer, it appeared that many of the msucles in the tentacles had been replaced by light-producing cells. I lost the link with the crash of the server and will try to find it.

The octopus doesn't have a spinal cord.

Wise.

[Wise Young]

The link for the bioluminescent octupus is http://www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/octopus/chameleons.html

[WM]

Thank you Dr. Young for the explanation! I feel better!:)

Thank you In the Wind for the info and the warning! (shark--->:zombie:)

[antiquity]

I've seen all of those programs. A very fascinating creature. I posted about the mimic octopus here: http://sci.rutgers.edu/forum/showpost.php?p=392812&postcount=10

[Juke_spin]

Something having been overlooked here is the seemingly much greater mass of the octopus as compared with the shark.

Unless I'm mistaken, the octopus's tentacle is about the same diameter at it most proximal point as is the body of the shark it has captured. That would indicate comparative body weights suggesting that the octopus far outweighs (is much bigger than) the shark, thus giving it a distinct advantage in the encounter.

I'd wager that a simular encounter involving two such combatants of equal weight would yield a different outcome.

[Lindox]

The link for the bioluminescent octupus is http://www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/octopus/chameleons.html

Don't you just love Nature. It is a program that will never let you down. The filming techniques and the still photography is the best you will see anywhere.

And the subject matter is so varied. Just a magnificent program. And one main reason NEVER to let PBS become defunct. NOVA also is top notch. As is most of their content..top notch.

[Wise Young]

Something having been overlooked here is the seemingly much greater mass of the octopus as compared with the shark.

Unless I'm mistaken, the octopus's tentacle is about the same diameter at it most proximal point as is the body of the shark it has captured. That would indicate comparative body weights suggesting that the octopus far outweighs (is much bigger than) the shark, thus giving it a distinct advantage in the encounter.

I'd wager that a simular encounter involving two such combatants of equal weight would yield a different outcome.

Juke, I have held and weighed octupuses. They are not very heavy. While they may look big when they puff themselves up, they are actually not very heavy. In my experience, a very big octopus would weigh only 3 kg (6-7 pounds). Most adult octupuses weigh only 2 kg. The common Octopus vulgaris doesn't live very long (only 6 months) and therefore does not have a chance to grow very big. They are much smaller than the sharks they are attacking.

I went to look for some quantitative measures of octupus body weights and came across the following abstract which describes the factors that affect octopus growth rate (for farming purposes...).
http://cat.inist.fr/?aModele=afficheN&cpsidt=17055440

Wise.

[Juke_spin]

Juke, I have held and weighed octupuses. They are not very heavy. While they may look big when they puff themselves up, they are actually not very heavy. In my experience, a very big octopus would weigh only 3 kg (6-7 pounds). Most adult octupuses weigh only 2 kg. The common Octopus vulgaris doesn't live very long (only 6 months) and therefore does not have a chance to grow very big. They are much smaller than the sharks they are attacking.

I went to look for some quantitative measures of octupus body weights and came across the following abstract which describes the factors that affect octopus growth rate (for farming purposes...).
http://cat.inist.fr/?aModele=afficheN&cpsidt=17055440

Wise.
Thanks, Wise.

The audio intro to the video states clearly that the octopus is of the "giant octopus" variety.

The record weight for a Giant octopus is 272 (http://www.google.com/search?q=272+kg+in+lbs) kg, but most weigh about 23-41 (http://www.google.com/search?q=41+kg+in+lbs) kg. or 50.6 to 90.2 pounds. http://marinebio.org/species.asp?id=60

This Mako Shark weight chart

Mako Length-Mass Chart
from Shark Tagger (http://sharktagger.com/index.html)
Total Length
Mass
Fork Length


Total Length
Mass
Fork Length
(feet)
(inches)
(lbs.)
(inches)

(cm)
(kg)
(cm)
2 ft. 4 inch.
28
5
25

70
2
63
2 ft. 6 inch.
30
7
27

77
3
70
2 ft. 9 inch.
33
9
30

84
4
76
3 ft.
36
12
33

91
6
83
3 ft. 3 inch.
39
15
35

98
7
89
3 ft. 5 inch.
41
19
38

105
9
96
3 ft. 8 inch.
44
24
40

112
11
102
3 ft. 11 inch.
47
29
43

119
13
109
4 ft. 2 inch.
50
35
45

126
16
115
4 ft. 4 inch.
52
41
48

133
19
122
4 ft. 7 inch.
55
48
51

140
22
128
4 ft. 10 inch.
58
56
53

147
26
135
5 ft. 1 inch.
61
65
56

154
30
141
5 ft. 3 inch.
63
75
58

161
34
148
5 ft. 6 inch.
66
86
61

168
39
154
5 ft. 9 inch.
69
98
63

175
45
161
6 ft.
72
111
66


puts a six footer at 111 pounds but the mako appears to be considerably thicker bodied than the sharks in the video:

http://www.bite-back.com/images/mako%20shark.jpg
http://72.14.253.104/search?q=cache:sAuJjP3lUI0J:www.themarlinclub.com/2001/MakoChart.htm+shark+weight+chart&hl=en&gl=us&ct=clnk&cd=1

So it is not unreasonable to conjecture that the captive giant octopus of the video may have been heavier/larger than the shark it overcame.

Still, lacking hard data, this is all speculation. It does, however, indicate that the animals may well have been close in mass. If this is the case I would expect the more intelligent octopus to be the more capable combatant.

[Wise Young]

Thanks, Wise.

The audio intro to the video states clearly that the octopus is of the "giant octopus" variety.

http://marinebio.org/species.asp?id=60

This Mako Shark weight chart


puts a six footer at 111 pounds but the mako appears to be considerably thicker bodied than the sharks in the video:

http://www.bite-back.com/images/mako%20shark.jpg
Source (http://72.14.253.104/search?q=cache:sAuJjP3lUI0J:www.themarlinclub.com/2001/MakoChart.htm+shark+weight+chart&hl=en&gl=us&ct=clnk&cd=1)

So it is not unreasonable to conjecture that the captive giant octopus of the video may have been heavier/larger than the shark it overcame.

Still, lacking hard data, this is all speculation. It does, however, indicate that the animals may well have been close in mass. If this is the case I would expect the more intelligent octopus to be the more capable combatant.

I agree that a giant octopus could exceed the weight of the shark. Here is an article about the giant octopus from the Pacific. Unlike the more common octopus vulgaris (which I was referring to and dominates the Mediterranean and Atlantic Ocean), the giant Pacific octopus lives 3-5 years. Although it is rare to find individuals that weight over 50 kg, there have been verified reports of giant octopuses that weigh up to 170 kg with tentacles spreads that are up to 7 meters in diameter. I would hate to meet up with such a monster.

http://marine.alaskapacific.edu/octopus/factsheet.html
Giant Octopus: Fact Sheet
Some interesting facts about the Giant Pacific Octopus.

Get the facts about the Giant Octopus, 6K
[ About Giant Octopuses Fact sheet | Anatomy | Field ID | Life History ]


Octopuses are cephalopod mollusks characterized by having eight arms, no tentacles, and the internal shell lost or considerably reduced. There are over 100 species of octopuses (Genus Octopus) in the world as well as numerous species of deep-water and pelagic octopuses (Order Octopoda). Our knowledge of octopuses comes almost entirely from only a few species (Octopus vulgaris, O. bimaculatus, Enteroctopus dofleini, Eledone cirrhosa).

The species known as Octopus dofleini, the Giant Pacific Octopus, has recently be re-classified as Enteroctopus dofleini (Hochberg 1998). The genus Enteroctopus includes the other giant octopuses of the world (E. dofleini in the north Pacific, E. megalocyathus off S. America and E. magnificus off southern Africa).

Enteroctopus dofleini is the largest species of octopus in the world. Although it is very unusual to find an individuals over 100 pounds (45 kg), one large individual captured just near Victoria, British Columbia in 1967 weighed 156 pounds (70 kg), and was almost 23 feet (7.5 m), from arm tip to arm tip. There are records that seem to be well-referenced of a few individuals that were more than 300 pounds (136 kg) and one that was more than 400 (182 kg). (Ref: Dr. F.G. Hochberg, Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History).

Enteroctopus dofleini occurs on the continental shelf of the north Pacific ocean, where its range extends from southern California, north along the coastline of the Pacific Northwestern Americas, across the Aleutians, and south to Japan. The species occurs at depths from the intertidal to 750 m.

Enteroctopus dofleini live 3-5 years. When mature, females lay eggs on the inner side of a rocky den and may lay 20,000 to 100,000 eggs over a period of several days. Eggs are tended, cleaned and aerated by females until they hatch. Incubation takes 150 days to seven or more months, depending on the temperature. Females do not feed while tending eggs and die when the eggs hatch or shortly thereafter. Many of the eggs will die if not tended by the female until hatching.

Following hatching E. dofleini swims toward the surface and spend 4-12 weeks drifting in the plankton until they reach a size of >14 mm mantle length (still under 5 grams.). The young then settle to the bottom, although not much is known about this settlement phase.

<more>

[rfbdorf]

Rather than the mass, I think what makes the difference is that that the octopus can hold on to something on the sea floor at the same time as onto its prey. The shark will die fairly quickly when it's held immobile. Of course, the octopus is also infinitely more maneuverable than the shark - stay away from the shark's mouth and you're pretty safe!
- Richard

[bcripeq]

When I was a commercial fisherman in high school in Alaska we would regularily catch octopus in our setnets. Its actually not that they would get caught but rather that they would hold onto the lead line of the net.

The first one that I ever saw was a huge octopus. I was a big kid (6'2 and 210) back then and very strong. I saw the octopus coming up and knew it was a big one. As soon as it reached the surface it let go of the net and I grabbed it. I had two of its tentacles in my hands right up near its body. The tentacles were wrapped around me and stuck to my rain coat. The other tentacles were stuck to the boat. I pulled as hard as I could and I couldnt get it into the boat. It actually walked away from me on the boat. The tentacles moved out of my hand regardless of how tight I gripped it. It was weird. It seemed one minute I had it up close to body and next minute in was out of my hand. Very strong that is for sure.

[Wise Young]

When I was a commercial fisherman in high school in Alaska we would regularily catch octopus in our setnets. Its actually not that they would get caught but rather that they would hold onto the lead line of the net.

The first one that I ever saw was a huge octopus. I was a big kid (6'2 and 210) back then and very strong. I saw the octopus coming up and knew it was a big one. As soon as it reached the surface it let go of the net and I grabbed it. I had two of its tentacles in my hands right up near its body. The tentacles were wrapped around me and stuck to my rain coat. The other tentacles were stuck to the boat. I pulled as hard as I could and I couldnt get it into the boat. It actually walked away from me on the boat. The tentacles moved out of my hand regardless of how tight I gripped it. It was weird. It seemed one minute I had it up close to body and next minute in was out of my hand. Very strong that is for sure.


Wow, bcripeq. You did commercial fishing? I have know several people who use to do that. It is incredibly tough work and you have to be very strong. Also, you must have been very tolerant of the cold and very brave to try to grab an octopus! There are a number of stories of how octopus suckers would be left on a boat surface. That means that the suckers apply strong enough suction to hang onto a surface despite forces that are strong enough to break the tentacle itself.

Wise.

[Juke_spin]

Rather than the mass, I think what makes the difference is that that the octopus can hold on to something on the sea floor at the same time as onto its prey. The shark will die fairly quickly when it's held immobile. Of course, the octopus is also infinitely more maneuverable than the shark - stay away from the shark's mouth and you're pretty safe!
- Richard
Your's is more probably a better insight into the reasons for the outcome in the video.

Putting that together with bcripeq's anecdote and the material Wise linked to, it would seem that even an octopus much smaller that a shark would be able to overcome it.

What incredible creatures!:agog::thinking::)

[betheny]

When I used to scuba dive I would see small ones on night dives. They are fascinating. It was the color changes that were most amazing.

A guy on a boat told me that an octupus reached out of a hole in Cozumel. It pulled the mask off the dive leader. That would suck, but at least it wasn't his regulator!

bcripeq, we've been watching a tv series about crab fishermen up north, I think it's in Alaska. Called The Deadliest Catch, on The Discovery Channel. Tough work indeed. Last week one boat cut loose the traps set out by another boat. They're not only battling the elements, but each other as well.

[bcripeq]

Wow, bcripeq. You did commercial fishing? I have know several people who use to do that. It is incredibly tough work and you have to be very strong. Also, you must have been very tolerant of the cold and very brave to try to grab an octopus! There are a number of stories of how octopus suckers would be left on a boat surface. That means that the suckers apply strong enough suction to hang onto a surface despite forces that are strong enough to break the tentacle itself.

Wise.

Yes I was a commercial salmon fisherman on Kodiak Island in the summers. It was very hard work but also very cool. We did what is called setnetting. Which basically means we had gill nets that were tied to shore that extended out from the shoreline 1800-2000 feet. There was 18 all together. During openings, we went out in a skiff (with a 40 horse outboard) with two people and picked the nets by hand. When our little skiff was full of salmon then we took that to a larger boat called a tender and unloaded our catch. I was lucky and worked the Karluk river run during the largest catch and the highest prices. Kodiak is an amazing place. The ocean is crystal clear and full of life. At times the ocean is like a huge lake but at other times it can be downright nasty. I worked three summers.

I also went out on a king crab opening but it wasnt for me. I got very seasick. For some reason, I never get seasick on small boats and never airsick but something about big boats and yikes...

We caught lots of interesting stuff in the nets. Most of it we were able to free. Once we caught a seaotter and I had to wrestle it so that we could unhook its leg. It was all I could do. He really tore up my rain jacket!

The octopus was not too bad. I was always told that you had to stay away from its head because it would bite. It was probably 10 feet long? It never left any pieces or parts but was interesting.

I was eventually injured in Alaska in an airplane accident.

[Juke_spin]

Kodiak is an amazing place. The ocean is crystal clear and full of life. entually injured in Alaska in an airplane accident.

An interesting factoid: Air (containing oxygen, essential to most life) will disolve in greater volume into colder water. The result is that tropical waters are the most deficient in life (by volume, cubic meter, whatever) and the coldest oceans/waters are teeming with a complex web of living things at every level of scale.

[Wise Young]

bripeq, incredible! Kodiak Island sounds fascinating. Crystal clear cold water teeming with life. According to http://seagrant.uaf.edu/bookstore/pubs/SG-ED-47.pdf, people seldom get seasick in a small boat that is moving around a lot but rather get seasick from the slower motions of waves rocking a larger boat.

Wise.

Yes I was a commercial salmon fisherman on Kodiak Island in the summers. It was very hard work but also very cool. We did what is called setnetting. Which basically means we had gill nets that were tied to shore that extended out from the shoreline 1800-2000 feet. There was 18 all together. During openings, we went out in a skiff (with a 40 horse outboard) with two people and picked the nets by hand. When our little skiff was full of salmon then we took that to a larger boat called a tender and unloaded our catch. I was lucky and worked the Karluk river run during the largest catch and the highest prices. Kodiak is an amazing place. The ocean is crystal clear and full of life. At times the ocean is like a huge lake but at other times it can be downright nasty. I worked three summers.

I also went out on a king crab opening but it wasnt for me. I got very seasick. For some reason, I never get seasick on small boats and never airsick but something about big boats and yikes...

We caught lots of interesting stuff in the nets. Most of it we were able to free. Once we caught a seaotter and I had to wrestle it so that we could unhook its leg. It was all I could do. He really tore up my rain jacket!

The octopus was not too bad. I was always told that you had to stay away from its head because it would bite. It was probably 10 feet long? It never left any pieces or parts but was interesting.

I was eventually injured in Alaska in an airplane accident.

[bcripeq]

Yea the water was very very cold. We used to go swimming but had to wear our survival suits to do that. It was pretty funny really. A crystal clear day around 70 degrees and us in bright orange suits that you could barely move in waddling out into the ocean.

I always find it very interesting that northern waters have such an abundance of life. I guess it is because of higher O2 levels. I have been told by biologists that the waters around Kodiak have the highest density of sea life of anywhere in the world.