Debris of shells and coral at the opening of an old tank was our first clue that an octopus lair was inside. No telling how many divers had finned right over the tank without spotting the octopus. Talk about hiding in plain site, she could not have chosen a busier place to set up her nursery, right next to the pier steps where dozens of divers entered and existed each day. Yet none of the other divers mentioned having seen her and we kept her secret to ourselves. On each shore dive we would stop to say hello on our way out and upon our return we would peek in to say goodbye. Of course the octopus could have cared less but it was a fun ritual anyway.
Upon finishing an afternoon dive we saw something sitting on the tank and swam over to look. It was an amorous male suitor engaged in a little hanky panky with our lady friend. The desire to finish his mission emboldened the randy cephalopod so much that he ignored our approach and seemed unconcerned with our presence.
You can see him sitting on the tank with one of his arms extended into the opening. That arm is called a hectocotylus, a special arm used to insert spermatophores into the female's mantle cavity. Once he has mated he will die within a few months. A sad ending but part of the circle of life because his effort will produce thousands of eggs that the female will take care of. When the eggs are about ready to hatch she will leave the lair for the final time and succumb to her fate as her life journey will shortly end as well.
And that is Amore, octopus style.
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