Delightful Dumbo Octopus in the Deep-Sea
We will never get tired of seeing a Grimpoteuthis dumbo octopus- especially when the video quality is THIS good! Spotted while exploring an unnamed seamount in the waters near Wake Atoll, 3,730 meters (12,237 feet) deep, we estimate this cephalopod to be almost a meter long. Our Corps of Exploration was treated to this truly beautiful moment that appears to be almost in slow motion. You can clearly see its large “ear”-shaped fins used to help the animal move in the deep sea via propulsion. These magical octopods eat a variety of other animals, including crustaceans, bivalves, worms, and copepods. As the deepest living octopuses known, dumbos have been found up to 7,000 meters (23,000 feet) deep!
Ocean Exploration Trust's Exploration of Wake Island's Deep-Sea expedition (NA181) is supported by NOAA Ocean Exploration via the Ocean Exploration Cooperative Institute.
Exploration of Wake Island's Deep Sea
Located roughly midway between the Hawaiian and Mariana Islands, Wake Island is one of the most isolated land masses on Earth. While there have been some recent expeditions to this remote region, the vast majority of the 407,241 square kilometers of seafloor surrounding Wake remains unmapped and uncharacterized, thereby representing one of the most poorly surveyed areas under US jurisdiction.
