Excited Giant Octopus Drags an Author Into Her Tank — and Flaunts Her Hidden Underwater World
Published Aug. 13 2025, 12:45 p.m. ET
A giant octopus reaches out to a diver using one of its arms underwater.
Octopuses, famous for their strange appearance, keep surprising us with their intelligent skills and fascinating behaviors. While every type of these sea creatures produces venom, only the blue-ringed octopus has venom deadly to humans. As a result, encounters between people and octopuses are quite rare. However, in a heartwarming instance mentioned in her book Secrets of the Octopus, author Sy Montgomery recalls how Athena, a Giant Pacific octopus at the New England Aquarium in Boston, surprisingly greeted her warmly when she entered the tank.
A Giant Pacific octopus resting under the sea.
As reported by National Geographic, the author described the magical moment and wrote, “Standing on a low step stool, I leaned over the water. The octopus changed from a mottled brown to a bright red with excitement as she spilled her liquid body out of her rocky lair. One of her glittering, silver eyes sought mine as her eight arms boiled up to the surface to meet me.” Shortly after, the woman put her hands and arms into the water, allowing the octopus to feel her skin as it explored her through touch and taste. Later, when Montgomery gently placed her hand on Athena's head, the octopus changed to a white hue—a sign that it was relaxed.
A Giant Pacific octopus flailing its arms.
Athena then pulled the writer deep into her tank. Describing this moment, Montgomery shared, “I was not afraid. I felt no malice on her part. Her pull was insistent but gentle. I didn’t worry that she wanted to eat me. I was comfortably aware that her beak, located in her armpit, and its adjacent venom glands were nowhere near the parts of the arms that were pulling on mine.” However, unfortunately, Athena passed away shortly after meeting the author, as she was already old for an octopus. In the following three years, Montgomery even formed close bonds with Athena’s successors at the aquarium—Octavia, Kali, and Karma.
True to their name, these Giant Pacific octopuses are the largest octopus species on our planet, with adults weighing anywhere between 40 and 100 pounds, as reported by Seattle Aquarium. While Athena was a full-grown adult, she weighed only about 40 pounds and had several unique powers. She could shift her color and shape, feel different flavors, secrete venom, and exhibit many other noteworthy traits. Typically active at night, these octopuses hunt their prey in darkness, using their arms to spot and capture them.
They can also change their body color whenever they wish to show their emotions and comfort. Additionally, they can even shift their skin texture to blend seamlessly with their environment. Reports further state that these magical sea creatures have blue blood, eight limbs, and three hearts. Meanwhile, apart from the Secrets of the Octopus, Montgomery has authored several other books, such as The Soul of an Octopus: A Surprising Exploration into the Wonder of Consciousness. She is also popular for her memoir The Good Good Pig, which was inspired by her beloved pig, Christopher Hogwood.