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The Giant Octopus

Ali_Strachan

Gone But Not Forgotten
(ACCOUNT RETIRED)
Joined
Jul 30, 2001
Messages
117
Speaking of vanished mystery photos Thunderbirds Are Go [FT105], does anyone but me recall a "non-fiction" book published in the early 1960s that included multiple action photographs of a hard-hat salvage diver grappling with an octopus roughly the size of a Volkswagen Beetle?

Some of the same photos were published with an article in one of the contemporary "men’s" magazines, a pulp on the order of True or Argosy, but true to form, I can’t recall the author’s name or the title of the book (something with "Treasure" in the title, as if that helps).

Do any Fortean scholars or cryptozoologists out there remember these golden oldies? I’m almost certain the photos were staged phoneys after all, the text mentions no cameraman present during the author/diver’s "fight to the death" with the man-eating cephalopod, but I’ve never seen these curious documents analysed or even mentioned by Heuvelmans, Sanderson, Coleman, Shuker, et al.

This is no second-hand urban legend, as I’ve read both the book and article, but after 30-odd years my copies and the relevant details are gone with the wind. I’m frankly more interested in expert critiques than in retrieving the publications themselves, and would dearly love to hear from anyone out there with a superior memory or library, who can shed some light on the subject.

Michael Newton, Nashville, Indiana
[email protected]
 
new giant octopus story + pic

one day i shall learn hypertext links. as for now this shall have to do.
http://nzherald.co.nz/storydisplay.cfm?storyID=1292001&thesection=news&thesubsection=general

Chathams find is biggest octopus ever

28.03.2002
By ANNE BESTON environment reporter
The biggest octopus ever found has been caught by New Zealand scientist Dr Steve O'Shea off the Chatham Islands.

The giant dead octopus, which was caught by the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research's ship Tangaroa, is not complete, but still measured 2.6m.

Intact, it could have been a metre longer, said Dr O'Shea, a marine biologist and researcher with Niwa.

The octopus was caught as a byproduct of Tangaroa's fish stock survey late last year but was not examined closely at first because Dr O'Shea thought the brilliant red gelatinous blob was just another giant squid - the animal he specialises in.

After catching more than 70 giant squid over the past 10 years, he thought this one could wait a while before he took a closer look.

When he did, he found the giant animal was the first confirmed record in the South Pacific of the rare gelatinous octopus Haliphron atlanticus - and the largest specimen known.

Dr O'Shea said the haliphron was poorly understood though it had been recorded that the female brooded eggs in her arms.

It was once thought to be part of New Zealand fauna but has since been struck off the list because of a lack of scientific evidence.

Most of those caught had been juveniles found in depths of less than 33m, although a few larger animals had been found at depths exceeding 250m. The octopus is thought to live on or very near the sea floor.

Scientists also thought the biggest the octopus grew was 2m. Dr O'Shea said it was remarkable, given the number of juveniles caught, that large adults had not been caught more often.

This one was found on the Chatham Rise at a depth of less than 1000m, an area and depth that had been extensively trawled for decades.

"Either it has escaped trawl nets for decades or it usually resides in areas or depths that we have yet to regularly sample," he said.

Because the biology of the species has not been reported in detail, especially one as large and mature as this female, it would now be fully scientifically described.

The discovery brought the total number of octopus species known to exist in New Zealand waters to 42, Dr O'Shea said.

He had notified the find around the world.

nzherald.co.nz/environment
 
3 metres long octopus in New Zealand waters

onenews.nzoom.com/news_detail/0,1227,90193-1-7,00.html
Link is dead. Here is the text from the MIA webpage:

Giant octopus in NZ waters

A deep sea fishing boat has netted the world's largest octopus in New Zealand waters.

The octopus was caught in a net 920 metres underwater, south-east of the Chatham Islands.

The deep sea monster is the biggest largest octopus ever found at three metres long and weighing about 70 kilograms.

A scientist at the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research, Steve O'Shea, says he is surprised at the amount of interest it has created.

"People overseas didn't believe this animal grew to this size," Doctor O'Shea said.

Unfortunately the specimen found in New Zealand has been extensively damaged in the trawl and also preserved, causing it to shrink considerably.

Its cousin, the giant squid, is also found in New Zealand and is believed to visit New Zealand waters twice a year to breed.

It has never been seen in New Zealand alive, and nor has the giant octopus.

The giant find means there are now 42 species of octopus to be found in NZ waters.

SALVAGED FROM THE WAYBACK MACHINE:
https://web.archive.org/web/2002041...zoom.com/news_detail/0,1227,90193-1-7,00.html
 
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I wonder how long it will be before they find the giant octopus that used to attack sailors boats :D
 
Alistair said:
Speaking of vanished mystery photos Thunderbirds Are Go [FT105], does anyone but me recall a "non-fiction" book published in the early 1960s that included multiple action photographs of a hard-hat salvage diver grappling with an octopus roughly the size of a Volkswagen Beetle?

I do recall seeing those photographs when I was younger and being both frightened and fascinated. The fact that the photos seemed so unlikely only added to the mystique.
 
I've attached a photo (I hope!) from a book called "My compass points to treasure" by Lt. Harry E. Rieseberg.

I purports to show a diver fighting with a bloody big octopus, but the book review cast some doubt on the authenticity.

If my attachment didn't work go to the URL below and scroll down the page and you'll come to the photo and several others.

Is this the one you remember?

Here

( http://classicdivebooks.customer.netspace.net.au/oeclassics-a-rieseberg.html )
 
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starpilot said:
I've attached a photo (I hope!) from a book called "My compass points to treasure" by Lt. Harry E. Rieseberg.

I purports to show a diver fighting with a bloody big octopus, but the book review cast some doubt on the authenticity.

Is this the one you remember?
These are probably the photos I saw. I don't think I got more than passing glance at them so my memory of the photos are as murky as the scene they capture. I do recall them being in "non-fiction" book. It's interesting how similar my reaction was to the photos as Lieutenant Harry Rieseberg claimed his reaction was to the actual octopus: "I was revolted and fascinated."
 
Well check out this Bad Boy:

pbs.org/wnet/nature/octopus/media_p ... rk_hi.html
Link is dead. Media playback required. No archived version found.

:shock:
 
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Mighty_Emperor said:
Well check out this Bad Boy:

pbs.org/wnet/nature/octopus/media_p ... rk_hi.html
Link is dead. Media playback required. No archived version found.

That's impressive, something has to be a truly mean mother to prey on sharks. :shock:
 
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Mighty_Emperor said:
Well check out this Bad Boy:

pbs.org/wnet/nature/octopus/media_p ... rk_hi.html
Link is dead. Media playback required. No archived version found.

I don't understand why they were surprised. Why would they assume a giant octopus wouldn't prey on sharks smaller than itself?
 
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Loved it! Great Link 8) - I suppose the sick experiment would be to put ever larger sharks in the tank until you found that octupus's limit :twisted:
 
When they said they were "tragically wrong" I thought they meant the shark was going to eat the octopus. :eek!!!!:
 
Great news for cryptos. Even though experts have known they were there for years because of sucker marks on sperm whales
 
That's quite an amazing video clip.

IIRC sharks have to keep moving to keep water flowing through their gills, so I guess the octopus doesn't actually need a damaging attack, just to immobilise it long enough for it to suffocate.
 
I cant wait to see a clip of one of those bigger octopuses they know exist ( obviously sometime in the future when they capture one). This is a milestone for those studying giant squid. Who says the world can't suprise us anymore.
 
Re: Octopus Eats Shark (in a Tank) Video

Pietro_Mercurios said:
One of the MM forum members (a vet and cephalopod fan), reckons it looks a bit staged. ;)

It was originally from PBS (see link in my post above - I did a quick merge ;) ) and seems perfectly legit. It does look like they filmed most of the footage afterwards and cut it in to make more of a film but I doubt they could really stage that without there being huge protests.
 
I recall a very old black-and-white film of a battle between a shark and an octopus. I don't know the original source, but it appeared as stock footage in The Beast From 20,000 Fathoms.
 
Oooo scary :shock:

Video captures octopus attack on sub in B.C.

Last Updated Fri, 27 Jan 2006 13:40:23 EST
CBC News

Rare video footage shows a giant octopus attacking a small submarine off the west coast of Vancouver Island.

Salmon researchers working on the Brooks Peninsula were shocked last November when an octopus attacked their expensive and sensitive equipment.

The giant Pacific octopus weighs about 45 kilograms, powerful enough to damage Mike Wood's remote-controlled submarine.

Wood's first reaction was to panic, knowing the marine creature can exert a powerful bite.

"I go full reverse and blast him with all these seabed particles," said Wood, describing the attack shown in the video. "Finally, he lets go and disappears off into the gloom.

"It was desperation. It's a $200,000 machine, and it's not insured," said Wood, who runs SubOceanic Sciences Canada in Duncan, B.C.

The rare footage, which has just been released, is believed to be the first documented attack of an octopus on a sub.

"It was only afterwards when I replayed the video and I thought, 'Oh, yeah, that's pretty neat.' But at the time, it was just scary."

No one knows what caused the octopus to attack. It may have been curious, looking for a meal or a girlfriend, said Jim Cosgrove of the Royal B.C. Museum.

"It's certainly a mature male from what I can see in the video," said Cosgrove. "Old octopuses become what we call senescent, or senile, reaching the end of their life. And sometimes their actions are very inappropriate."

Such large, powerful animals deserve respect, Cosgrove said.

The octopus left unscathed. The submarine's only defence was its thrusters, but the machine survived the attack.

http://sympatico.msn.cbc.ca/story/scien ... 60127.html
 
The octopus attack was not the first time the ROV was approached by giant animal. It was pushed and bumped last year by Luna, the lonely killer whale who was separated from his pod.

ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/s ... hub=Canada
Link is dead. The MIA webpage can be accessed via the Wayback Machine:

https://web.archive.org/web/2006021...0060126/octopus_bc_060126/20060126?hub=Canada


Fort would have relished that "coincidence". Lonely whales and amorous (or hungry) octopi. I can almost see the page in my mind's eye.
 
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I always though Sharks had no natural predators - apart from man of course but was surprised to find this - and so were others it seems - you gotta be tough to take on a shark!

video.google.com/videoplay?docid ... 2962894202
Link is dead. No archived version found at cited site.

The video was "Octopus Eats Shark" by Stevan Hogg. This is probably the same video accessible at:



Apologies if posted before.
-
 
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That was amazing and utterly bizarre.
One nice thing about modern technology-one can actually see such a thing in their own home!

Thanks for posting that.
 
Well, I guess that answers all my 'who would win in a fight...' type questions. Amazing.
 
If there is another thread on giant octopus legends, please direct me to it.
The Ainu (indigenous people of parts of Northern Japan and little bits of Russia) have a giant octopus in their folklore, which is a minor deity in the area. It is 33 metres long and lives in Funka Bay, Hokkaido.

Akkorokamui
 
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