Handling octopuses?

[KrisB]

I'm in agreement (+3?) -- to answer some questions from observation:
1. Many DMs will play with wildlife -- the ones most likely to do it usually have a "tickle stick" clipped to their BC -- a 1-2' aluminum rod. Just something to watch for.
2. Hawaii octopuses do bite, but they're usually small enough that the trick employed by the aforementioned DMs is to have them swim into the hand (their beak is inside the tentacle area).

Personally, I think far too much touchy-touchy occurs, though I will admit to picking up collector and pencil urchins, as well as the occasional cushion star. That said, I try to put them back from whence they came... Not just drop them like some do.

 

[wetb4igetinthewater]

+1.

Unfortunately quite common. Saw it on my last day/dive when in Maui. I was a bit shocked from it. Had no idea what the DM was doing digging his hand into the ground, but then there was all this black ink, so I knew before I saw it that it was an octopus (I'm used to octopus hiding underneath things here in the PNW). Fortunately it got away quickly and hid in coral.

I'll filter out operations based on the harassment of wildlife this in the future. Though to be fair, if I see people feeding moray eels, I'll be thinking in my head "Please bite a finger off! Please bite a finger off!"

 

[diving4ever]

I've had an octopus come out to look at me when I hung out near its crevice. I've seen DMs enourage octopi to come out as well. In general I think: Don't tug, pull, or stress the animal. DON'T make it ink! But a little encouragement doesn't bother me.

 

[drbill]

I generally avoid touching critters although as a marine biologist I am generally aware of what critters can tolerate touch. In general I don't touch octopus. However if one decides to touch me (they are curious) or climbs up on my arm, I'm fine with that. A decade ago I was a marine biologist on an eco-cruise line (Lindblad/National Geographic) exploring the Sea of Cortez and Magdalena Bay to search for whales. I was determined not to touch a whale. However it was incredibly obvious that at least one of the gray whales we interacting with was soliciting contact with humans. I did end up scratching its belly.

 

[MaxBottomtime]

Sometimes you have no choice in the matter.

 

[alpegmusic]

On Oahu back in 2009, I signed on for a PADI "Discover Diving" session (having been some 41 years since I had been certified and 30 years since I had last used SCUBA) Lots of fun and it inspired to get a refresher and eventually to go for Divemaster which I completed in 2010. On one of the dives, the instructor had me pose for a photo with a small octopus on my arm. It was pretty cool for me, but in retrospect, maybe not so much fun for the octopus. I wouldn't do that now.

 

[dumpsterDiver]

The people there hunt and eat octopus, so "bothering" one for a few minutes and releasing it unharmed may seem somewhat innocuous to the local DM. Of course it is disruptive to the individual animals daily behavoir, but I am not so sure it is particularly harmful.

I wonder how many of the divers who take a strict "no touch" - "no physical interaction" and "no modification of the animals natural behavior" attitude... will happily go on a shark feeding dive?

Because.. you know... it is educational.. and it is important that people understand the animal better..

 

[Rooster59]

My fav is being given the don't touch, Molokini Marine Sanctuary talk, and then watch the same DM/guide root out Mr. Octo with a stick and mess with him until he inks. If I was an octopus I'd be pissed.

 

[drrich2]

The people there hunt and eat octopus, so "bothering" one for a few minutes and releasing it unharmed may seem somewhat innocuous to the local DM. Of course it is disruptive to the individual animals daily behavoir, but I am not so sure it is particularly harmful.

I've noticed the prevailing ScubaBoard membership viewpoint of interacting with marine life seems to be that we are visitors to an alien environment and avoid impacting it (aside from removing our trash) as much as possible. We don't belong, and we're privileged to be here. Of course, when he dive in, swim around, blow bubbles & shoot camera flashes at things we harass a lot of wildlife, but somehow that's okay.

I spent much of my childhood in a rural area surrounded by forest. Not ocean, but I still had lots of encounters with local wildlife. People would think little of picking up a box turtle, or handling a lizard or a harmless snake or toad, and examining it. I think we saw ourselves as part of the world these creatures live in, and they a part of ours. Some limited interaction seemed natural & optional, not 'wrong.'

That's not an endorsement of willful aggravation of animals to excess (yeah, what's 'excess' could be debated); I've got to wonder how much added stress/burden we put on a cephalopod by depleting its ink supply, for example. But mildly touching a sea turtle on the shell seems minor (though I confess that, uh, 'this diver I know' got a dirty look from one once. I didn't think they could make faces, buuuuuutttt…).

Richard.

 

[Steve_C]

Bet of a confession.

As a general rule I am a strong advocate of do not touch the wildlife. Leave the sea turtles alone. Having said that I was diving with a private DM on a beach dive on Maui. The DM pulled out a small octopus. He gently stroked the back of its head. The octopus went through a couple of color changes which was cool. When it had settled into a calm cool pattern the DM placed it on my arm. I was not holding it. It just wrapped around my hand and we looked at each other. After a few minutes the DM took it off and returned it to its lair. It never inked during the encounter.

Philosophically do I approve? No. Did I enjoy it and am I glad that I had that encounter. Yes.