Curious octopus makes a break for it at Seattle Aquarium

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Friday, March 6, 2015
Meet Ink, the Seattle Aquarium octopus that's become a viral sensation.
creativeContent-Seattle Aquarium

Octopuses have certainly been making waves lately. The newest cephalopod to cause a stir is a Giant Pacific Octopus at the Seattle Aquarium caught on video trying to climb out of his tank as the surrounding crowd gasped and giggled in surprise. Take a look.

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The octopus, named Ink, barely had a third tentacle over the edge of the glass before an aquarium employee put an end to his grand adventure and tipped him back into the tank.

Ink is a recent addition the octopus exhibit of the aquarium and officials say when the video was taken last month, he was just exploring his new surroundings. As a safety precaution, the aquarium has placed a cover over the enclosure until Ink gets better accustomed to his new home.

The Seattle Aquarium collects its octopuses from Puget Sound, methodically noting the location from where each animal was taken. Eventually all of the animals are returned to the sound, often almost to the exact spot from where they originally came.

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Earlier this week, an octopus in Vermont caught the attention of the Internet when it grabbed a camera from a filmmaker photographing it and snapped a few pics of its own.

The Giant Pacific Octopus is native to the Pacific Northwest. Its lifespan is three to four years; it can grow to have an arm span of more than 18 feet and weigh more than 100 pounds.

Photos used with permission.