A giant Pacific octopus has been released back into the ocean by the Oregon coast aquarium after its rehabilitation.
The 22 lb. female was caught by fisherman as bycatch, meaning it was picked up by accident while crabbing for Dungeness, one of octopuses’ favorite meals.
Lance Hayes, octopus specialist, says the aquarium tries to release as many of the animals as they can because of their short life spans.
“So that’s why we have such a high turn-around with these animals and also why we try to release them,” says Hayes. “We want to release them before they actually get to the mating stage of their life. That way, when they’re out in the wild, they can have a boyfriend or girlfriend, what have you, and have little babies for us.”
The aquarium gets calls about accidentally-caught octopuses about once a month. They try to release one on display if a new one comes in and the cycle continues.