Takes Flight in Ocean Depths
Written by SurfWriter Girls Sunny Magdaug and Patti Kishel
While movie-goers are heading to
theaters to see the new, live-action version of Disney’s movie classic Dumbo…
ocean scientists on the E/V
Nautilus exploration vessel have been looking at another Dumbo deep
beneath the sea.
The scientists were treated to a
special sight at the end of the 2018 exploration season when they spotted a
rare Dumbo Octopus while surveying the deep waters of the Davidson
Seamount in the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary off California's coast.
The ship was using a remotely
operated underwater vehicle (ROV) to photograph the area when the Dumbo Octopus
– with its large fins that resemble the ears of the well-known elephant – unexpectedly
drifted into view.
The 2 ft.-long octopus, which was
swimming at a depth of some 10,000 feet below sea level, delighted the crew
with its twists and turns and other maneuverings.
Dumbo octopuses, who spend most of
their time hovering just above the ocean floor, can move quickly, using their
fins and eight webbed-together legs to propel themselves.
With the start of the exploration
vessel's 2019 season just getting underway, who knows what new wonders it will
find hidden in the ocean's depths?
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Sunny Magdaug and Patti
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