Octopus

Photo: Susanne Spindler · CC BY-NC-ND

Common octopus are abundant in Gjipe Canyon's boulder fields, each individual occupying a den recognisable by the characteristic midden of crab claws and sea urchin tests piled at its entrance. With no commercial fishing pressure at this remote site, octopus have little fear of divers and can be watched hunting actively in daylight hours — an unusual behaviour in more heavily dived areas where they have learned to be nocturnal. They are highly intelligent problem-solvers, and individuals observed over multiple dives show clear individual personalities ranging from boldly curious to cautiously cryptic.