Record-breaking sightings of a supremely intelligent sea creature during the summer season have prompted the declaration of 2025 as the year for octopuses in a seasonal assessment of Britain’s seas.
A gentle winter and then an exceptionally warm spring triggered a huge population of Mediterranean octopuses to settle along the southern coastline of England, spanning the Cornish and Devonian coasts.
“The reported landings was approximately 13 times what we would normally expect in the waters around Cornwall,” stated a marine life specialist. “Calculating the figures, around 233 thousand octopuses were caught in UK waters this year – representing a massive jump from historical averages.”
*Octopus vulgaris* is indigenous to British seas but usually so scarce it is seldom observed. An explosive growth is attributed to the dual effect of a mild winter and a warm breeding season. Such favorable circumstances meant increased juvenile survival, maybe aided by significant populations of a favored prey species seen in the area.
The most recent occasion, a population surge of this scale this significant was recorded in 1950, with past documentation indicating the last bloom prior to that occurred in 1900.
The remarkable abundance of octopuses meant they could be easily spotted in shallow waters for the first time in recent history. Video footage show octopuses being sociable – they are usually solitary – and “walking” along the ocean floor on the tips of their limbs. One individual was even filmed grabbing submarine recording equipment.
“On my initial dive there this year I saw multiple octopuses,” they noted. “And these are big. There are two types in UK waters. One species is quite small, about the size of a football, but these newcomers can be reaching impressive sizes.”
A second gentle winter heading into next year suggests the potential a second bloom next year, because in the past, with such patterns, the blooms have repeated for two years running.
“However, it is unlikely, based on past events, that it will persist indefinitely,” they said. “The ocean is full of surprises these days so it’s a very uncertain scenario.”
The assessment also noted further encouraging coastal sightings across British shores, including:
Not everything was good news, however. “The calendar year was marked by marine incidents,” said a head of marine conservation. “A major tanker collision in March and a spill of plastic pollution off the Sussex coast were serious issues. Staff and volunteers are working tirelessly to protect and restore our marine habitats.”
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