Courtesty Michael Bentley

Recently, several scuba divers did the unthinkable: captured and ultimately killed a Giant Pacific Octopus that was living at Cove 2, one of Seattle’s most popular dive sites.

I’m not opposed to hunting, including spearfishing. But taking creatures at popular dive sites impoverishes everyone who dives in these places.

While these divers acted antisocially, their behavior was apparently legal. There’s now a petition to protect the Giant Pacific Octopus at Cove 2, as well as evaluate broader restrictions on harvesting the GPO.

Seeing a Giant Pacific Octopus is one of my favorite things to do on a dive. They are beautiful, majestic, intelligent, and utterly alien. The only underwater sight in my experience that compares was a manta ray night dive in Hawaii.

Please sign the petition to protect the GPO in Seattle.