Page 9 - Boca Exposure - June '24

Boca Exposure, Page 9

Book Review from page 8 author Sy Montgomery (whom I had never met) called to completely off the ground. We’re floating. She’s holding
thank me and asked if I would like to meet Sy, the octopus me with two arms. I’m feeling her breathe …”
Officials at aquariums have learned that octopuses get at the New England Aquarium in Boston that had been “The sense of communion was palpable as the two adult
bored very quickly and must be kept mentally challenged. named after her. But, she cautioned, the octopus had laid females – one vertebrate, one invertebrate; one marine, the
For example, it takes them only minutes to learn how to her 100,000 eggs and, as I would know from having read other terrestrial – stared into each other’s eyes across a
open a childproof cap on a prescription medication – press her book, since there are many predators in their natural chasm of half a billion years of evolution. “It stole me in
down, then turn – or a jar that holds a tempting treat, like ocean habitat female octopuses instinctively spread their a way I’ve never felt with a human or an animal before,”
a shrimp: unscrew the metal top by turning it counter- tentacles atop the eggs, stop foraging for their own food, says Janicki. “It was an honor and incredible. I’ll never
clockwise. The answer is to provide different kinds of and over a period of several months slowly starve to death forget how powerful it was.”
puzzles regularly, all year round. to protect the babies. You would do well to read both of Sy Montgomery’s
We met at the aquarium the following week. Sy octopus books to derive the most benefit. If you consider
Montgomery had visited this octopus numerous times as them as cameras from which to view the lives of these
part of the research for her book. As soon as Sy the author creatures, Secrets of the Octopus will provide a rich
stepped to the top of the tank, the octopus looked up and, panoramic view of their truly superhuman combination of
as weak as she was from not eating, she raised a tentacle, intelligence and range of physical capabilities, as well as
wrapped it around the author’s waist in greeting and kept today’s broad diversity of species in this 300-million-year
it there. inheritance.
After a while, Sy the author gently uncoiled the The Soul of an Octopus,
tentacle, turned to me and said, “It’s your turn, Nils.” a deeply satisfying and
I stepped up to the tank and was handed a small fish, a emotional read, will be your
capelin – the octopus’s favorite food. A tentacle arose, close-up lens from which
took it from my fingers … but dropped it into the water. to view how two of this
She was already too weak to eat and was starving. world’s creatures, so alien in
The tentacle arose again from the water and touched my every way from one another
hand. She was tasting me, right down to my bloodstream. – author Sy Montgomery
I passed the test – and I was there with her friend, Sy the and the several octopuses
author. So slowly and gently her tentacle, sucker by sucker, she studied – were able to
encircled my wrist, feeling like wet velvet, and stayed form close relationships as
there as we looked at each other. evidence of the cognitive
Soon, realizing that here was a creature as different and intelligence abilities now
from me as would be an alien from outer space – yet at least known to be a part of the lives
as intelligent as myself and greeting me in the only way she of these undersea geniuses.
could – I began to speak silently to her, choking back tears
with every word: “Do you realize what’s happening? Do
you know you’re dying? You want to protect your babies,
I know. I wish I could help, but there is nothing I can do.”
Finally, the official from the aquarium said it was time to
go. I said my goodbye, uncoiled the tentacle and left.
For many months after, I could not discuss what was
one of the most emotional experiences of my life without
bursting into tears. It’s also why I fully related to Canadian
scuba diver Krystal Janicki’s description in this new book
Octopuses can distinguish between different human of her own experience on one dive – an encounter with
faces and will bond with individual humans. I can a giant Pacific octopus, which reads in part, “I forgot
personally attest to that. When my review of The Soul of everything else existed … One arm is up and over my June 16
an Octopus was published some years ago in this column, cheek and holding my head against her mantle. We’re

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