2025 Hailed as the 'Year of the Octopus' Off England's Southern Shores.
Unprecedented sightings of a supremely intelligent sea creature during the summer season have resulted in the naming of 2025 as the year for octopuses in a seasonal assessment of Britain’s seas.
A Perfect Storm Leading to an Explosion
An unusually warm winter followed by a remarkably hot spring triggered unprecedented numbers of Mediterranean octopuses to settle along the shores from Cornwall to Devon, from Penzance in Cornwall to south Devon.
“The scale of the catch was of the order of about over a dozen times what we would typically see in this region,” stated a marine conservation officer. “Based on the totals, around 233 thousand octopuses were present in these waters this year – which is a significant rise from historical averages.”
*Octopus vulgaris* is found in these waters but typically so rare it is seldom observed. A population bloom is the result of a combination of a mild winter and a warm breeding season. Such favorable circumstances meant a higher survival rate for young, potentially supported by significant populations of other marine life noted in recent years.
A Historic Event
The last time, an octopus bloom comparable was recorded in the mid-20th century, with past documentation indicating the one before that was in 1900.
The huge numbers of octopuses meant they could be readily observed in coastal areas for the first time in living memory. Video footage show octopuses congregating together – unlike their typical solitary behavior – and “walking” along the bottom on the tips of their limbs. A curious octopus was even recorded reaching for a diver's camera.
“During a first dive in that area this year I saw five octopuses,” the specialist continued. “They are sizeable. Two kinds exist in the region. The curled octopus is smaller, football-sized, but these common octopuses can be with a span of 1.5 meters.”
Predictions and Marine Joy
A second gentle winter this coming winter could lead to a repeat event next year, because historically, in similar situations, the blooms have repeated for two years in a row.
“Still, the chances are low, looking at history, that it will persist indefinitely,” they said. “The ocean is full of surprises at the moment so it’s hard to forecast.”
The assessment also celebrated other “surprises, successes and joyful moments” around the UK coastline, including:
- A record number of gray seals observed in one northern region.
- Record numbers of puffins on Skomer.
- A first-ever sighting of a rare sea slug in a northern county, typically a southwestern species.
- A variable blenny spotted off the coast of Sussex for the first time.
Environmental Concerns
Not everything was good news, however. “The period was framed by environmental disasters,” said a head of marine conservation. “A significant shipping incident in March and a spill of tonnes of plastic biobeads off the southern coast were serious issues. Staff and volunteers are working tirelessly to defend and heal our marine habitats.”
