A close-up of a reddish-brown octopus with a prominent eye and tentacles.
Octopus
Image courtesy of NOAA Ocean Exploration, 2025 Beyond the Blue. Download larger version (jpg, 934 KB).
Our first (and thus far, only) octopus sighting took place during the eleventh dive of the Papahānaumokuākea ROV and Mapping expedition at a depth of 393 meters (1,289 feet). The octopus was in extremely close, and curious, proximity to a brittle star.