Octopus rehab

Watch this Visitor Center octopus playing with a toy watering can during his quarantine with our Aquatic Animal Health Program.

Octopuses at the Visitor Center

Octopuses are short-lived, so we try to keep them for only a few months before returning them to the ocean - usually when they begin to show signs of senescence (aging).

Learn more about our octopus guests by visiting our OctoFAQ

Donate an octopus

We are always looking for live octopus donations from crabbers, fishermen, divers and others who inadvertently catch these curious animals when they climb into their traps or nets in search of food. Please contact us if you have an octopus to donate.

Note: A state-issued shellfish license is required to make an octopus donation. Contact our Senior Aquarist, Colleen Hill, or our Marine Education Volunteer Coordinator, Renee Fowler, if you have an octopus to donate.

About our Octocam

The Octocam view is occasionally cloudy (usually due to maintenance on the seawater systems) or dark. We sometimes darken the tank by covering it when the Visitor Center is closed to give the octopus time to rest. If you can't see a clear image, please revisit us in a day or two.