Octopus Question

nothintolose · Post by **nothintolose** » Mon Aug 04, 2008 12:18 am

Okay - lots of you keep talking about seeing an octopus while snorkeling. I have only seen one once and that was at Trunk, and it was only thanks to a guy that asked if I wanted to see an Octopus when I was headed back in to shore.

I would have totally missed it as I watched it for a long time, and it kept blending in with it's surroundings so I kept losing it.

Are there any places ya'll usually see them, and/or are there any things to look for to know that there is one around?

Thanks,
nothintolose

p.s. same goes for lobsters...any suggestions there?

cass · Post by **cass** » Mon Aug 04, 2008 12:32 am

Not sure how helpful I can be on this one, because I'm in total denial about seeing an octopus (I thought they were the size of a building, like something out of 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea).

I saw mine at Salt Pond (so said the strange man I spoke to). I described it as a "dead fish looking thing", it clearly had an intact head, and then a body with stuff all over it, it looked just like the rock is was next to. Strange man said it was an octopus though!

He said he had to wait four years before he ever saw one.

NCSue · Post by **NCSue** » Mon Aug 04, 2008 6:09 am

I saw my first one at Salt Pond also. It was TINY. I was floating right at the edge of the water with my snorkel mask on. I'm talking in like 6 inches of water. Then - poof -there he was! It was fantastic watching him change colors against the different backgrounds!

Dave-a-roni · Post by **Dave-a-roni** » Mon Aug 04, 2008 6:53 am

I just saw one at trunk. Between the cay and the beach. There was no science to it, I just got lucky... they're so cool. I guy I talked to out in the water said it just ate a small lobster, or had one. I followed it for a little while in amazement. I think your lucky to see one, congrats.

Wanda Creech · Post by **Wanda Creech** » Mon Aug 04, 2008 7:16 am

We saw an octopus at Jumbie. I thought it was pretty big. It was in the surf moving around, and I still had to look closely once it settled on the sand.

JT · Post by JT » Mon Aug 04, 2008 7:23 am

Along the right shoreline at Francis Bay, out towards Mary's Point, they are quite common. There's some about the size of your fist.

liamsaunt · Post by **liamsaunt** » Mon Aug 04, 2008 9:28 am

In all my trips, I have only seen two octopuses (octopi??). Both were at Caneel's Scott beach. The first one was tiny and was inside a conch shell. The other one was HUGE and was eating a conch. I have heard that if you look around the rocks for piles of open shells, this marks the entrance to an octopuses cave. If you hang around, sometimes the octopus will come out. I found an octopuses garden at Hansen, but no octopus.

Jumbiegirl · Post by **Jumbiegirl** » Mon Aug 04, 2008 9:41 am

The key to finding an octupus is looking for where it eats. I've spotted quite a few of them when I do the following...

Snorkel around rocky areas. Look for small piles of clean shells - ones without algae build up. When you find a clean pile then stop and start looking very carefully under rocks, coral and anything else laying around. Sometimes you'll see a white sucker from a leg peaking out or somewhere.

Paula · Post by **Paula** » Mon Aug 04, 2008 3:57 pm

Well, I don't want to appear silly, but an octopus won't attack you will it? (already blushing as I type this, but I have to know!) I wouldn't be worried about a small one, but one that's cracking large shells...

nothintolose · Post by **nothintolose** » Mon Aug 04, 2008 4:13 pm

Thanks for all of the tips (more are always appreciated). I definitely feel lucky to have seen the one at Trunk that the guy pointed out to me. I was a very good sized one at that. I must have watched it for at least 20 minutes but wish I would have watched it longer.

nothintolose

liamsaunt · Post by **liamsaunt** » Mon Aug 04, 2008 4:30 pm

Paula, octopus will not attack you! If they feel intimidated, they will shoot themselves away from you--sometimes they squirt ink as a diversion. Here is the big guy we found eating a conch....we stayed with it for about 30 minutes--it did not care a bit that we were floating around.

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28539958@N00/2519976396/" title="Scott John octopus 6 by liamsaunt, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2150/251 ... cf5671.jpg" width="500" height="281" alt="Scott John octopus 6"></a>

I took a photo of the octopus garden I found at Hansen also, so here is an example of what to look for:

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28539958@N00/2519112117/" title="miss vies octopus garden by liamsaunt, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2112/251 ... 775c05.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="miss vies octopus garden"></a>

Dave-a-roni · Post by **Dave-a-roni** » Mon Aug 04, 2008 9:38 pm

Very cool picture Becky

. I have a pic of the one I saw, but it'll have to wait for my trip report

I actually have really short video of it too, but would like to find a nice program to clean it up a little and brighten it up, if that's possible.

Paula · Post by **Paula** » Mon Aug 04, 2008 10:07 pm

Thank you for answering me, Liamsaunt. GREAT pictures!

nothintolose · Post by **nothintolose** » Mon Aug 04, 2008 11:07 pm

Becky - that looks like the one I saw in June 2007 at Trunk. SO saw a small one later at Waterlemon that was so small compared to the one I saw at Trunk that I thought it was a squid.

CindyM · Post by **CindyM** » Tue Aug 05, 2008 12:43 am

I saw an octopus at Honeymoon last week. They are usually hiding under a ledge but this one was swimming around. It was pretty large while it swam (and sooo cool) and it would stop and camouflage itself near different rocks to get away from me.

I've also seen them all the way to right of Cinnamon beach in the rocks, at Francis, Denis Bay and Gibney. Most were near the clean shells they say to look for. There out there, just take your time, look carefully and eventually you'll spot one.

usvi-on-line

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Octopus Question

Octopus Question