WATCH — Deep, dark sea reveals ghost-like Dumbo octopus
Named after the famous Disney character
It’s really dark in the deep sea.
So lightless that you can’t expect to see much of anything.
But then, like a ghost, something reveals itself from behind the shadows.
In September, a team of scientists from the Ocean Exploration Trust excitedly spotted a Dumbo octopus while exploring unseen parts of the Pacific Ocean.
They were on a 27-day expedition off the coast of Hawaii to learn more about the geology and biology in unseen parts of the ocean when they spotted the octopus.
The scientists gasped with joy.
These soft-bodied creatures are the deepest-living octopuses on Earth, so spotting one is super rare.
“There’s a whole team working together to explore the deep sea, and anytime one of these animals pops in, the room kind of erupts with, you know, 'Dumbo octopus!'” expedition leader Megan Cook told CBC’s The National.
How did they see it?
The team used a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) to access the depths of the ocean.
They can travel to parts of the ocean that are too deep for humans to reach.
While the ROV plunged deep into the ocean, scientists remained at the surface, aboard the E/V (Exploration Vessel) Nautilus.
They controlled the ROV using a joystick, sort of how you might play a video game.
These deep sea vehicles are outfitted with special equipment, including cameras, lights and water sampling instruments.
Why were scientists so excited?
Since Dumbo octopuses live in the lightless depths of the ocean, they have very few interactions with humans or predators, and are rarely seen.
The team was exploring at a depth of 1,682 metres when the Dumbo octopus drifted past their cameras.
To give you a sense of how deep that is, it's like stacking about three CN Towers on top of each other.
Even more exciting for the team, during their almost month-long travels, they spotted not one but seven Dumbo octopuses.
3 fun facts about Dumbo octopuses
- These serene deep-sea creatures are named after Dumbo, the famous Disney character, because of their oversized, ear-like fins that slowly flap to navigate through the water.
- They don’t have an ink sac, like some other octopuses, because they live so deep in the ocean that they rarely run into predators like sharks and dolphins.
- There are 15 species of Dumbo octopuses. They fall into a category called "umbrella octopus" because they have webbing between their tentacles that creates an umbrella-like shape when they float.
Click play to see the ghostly octopus and hear the scientists' excitement!
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With files from Reuters, CBC The National
TOP IMAGE CREDIT: (Ocean Exploration Trust/NOAA with graphic design by Philip Street/CBC)
