Giant Pacific Octopus

Thanks to Netflix’s “My Octopus Teacher,” the eight-armed oceanic mollusk has become all the rage. Little did I know when moving across the country to the Hood Canal that I would become neighbors with the world’s largest species, the Giant Pacific Octopus.

We once thought of these animals as terrifying beasts, staging the “World Octopus Wrestling Championships” in Tacoma in 1963. There are legends of these intelligent invertebrates growing to 600 pounds with arms over 30 feet long, but adults usually range somewhere from 30-100 pounds. It turns out they are quite timid yet curious; having been found to recognize humans, solve simple puzzles, and open child-proof containers.

People dive in the Hood Canal often in search of the Giant Pacific Octopus, but it takes a keen eye to track down these masters of disguise. They morph into their surroundings by changing colors in a tenth of a second, adjusting the texture of their skin, and slipping their flexible bodies into the smallest nooks and crannies.

Whether it’s from your warm, comfy bed in the resort watching Netflix or the chilling depths of the Hood Canal, octopuses are within reach here at Alderbrook Resort and Spa, even without 30 foot arms. Photo credit to Oceana, Protecting the World's Oceans - oceana.org.

Cheers,