4 replies to this topic

[annasea]

Giant Octopus Attacks ROV

Click on What's New, the click on 2005.

[gcbryan]

Giant Octopus Attacks ROV

Click on What's New, the click on 2005.

"With tentacles 'as thick as man's arm' and a bite that he believed can exert 1000 lbs pressure, Mike Wood feared the octopus would bite the camera cable or umbilical and trip out the Falcon ROV."

I don't think he had anything to worry a"bout here. They tend to prefer crab over ROV cable.

Edited by gcbryan, 30 January 2006 - 09:20 PM.

[gcbryan]

To follow up, I emailed :

James A. Cosgrove, M.Sc.
Manager, Natural History Section
Royal British Columbia Museum


who was quoted as the GPO expert in this story questioning the part about a GPO with a bite exerting 1,000 pounds of pressure.

His response was:

"That statement was attributed to the owner of the ROV. I have looked at a number of resources in the last 2 days to see if I could find any research that would support the statement. To date I have not found any research into the bite pressure of a Giant Pacific Octopus. I do, however, have several inquiries out to colleagues to see if someone else is aware of research on this topic.

My own opinion is very skeptical. Given that octopuses have no bones to brace the beak against when they bite I doubt that can exert that kind of pressure but I have no proof one way or the other."

This just backs up my belief that most stories regarding sensational behavior by marine life are usually misreported. The undersea world is fantastic enough without the press reporting GPO "facts" based on the comments of a ROV operator.

[Brinybay]

Leave it to the press to twist the facts. They are the same ignoramuses that are always referring to our "oxygen tanks". I wonder if Mr. Cosgrove includes Roland Anderson at the Seattle Aquarium as one of his colleages? He is our resident gpo expert.

Edited by Brinybay, 31 January 2006 - 11:41 AM.

[gcbryan]

Leave it to the press to twist the facts. They are the same ignoramuses that are always referring to our "oxygen tanks". I wonder if Mr. Cosgrove includes Roland Anderson at the Seattle Aquarium as one of his colleages? He is our resident gpo expert.

Don't know. I would have contacted Roland but since this expert was quoted in the story I went with him. I like the response to the GPO eating shark video going around. It is an interesting video however I've seen some posts describing it as a GPO attacking a blue shark rather than the 4 foot Dogfish that it really is. That was from the Seattle Aquarium (and we have no Blue Sharks there).

Edited by gcbryan, 05 February 2006 - 09:30 AM.