- Rest in peace, Ghost.
Mothers give up a lot of things for their kids. Ghost the Octopus is making the ultimate sacrifice for hers.
Ghost has been charming visitors at a California aquarium for more than a year. The giant Pacific octopus has displayed stunning intelligence and a friendly, playful nature that made her a fan favorite.
Unfortunately for her fans, Ghost recently did something that will spell her doom.
She laid eggs.
Female giant Pacific octopuses are caring mothers to the extreme, and Ghost is no exception. With her eggs out, she is now entering the final stage of her life, which will end in her death.
Ghost has stopped eating, and for the next few months, she’ll do nothing but sit and blow fresh water over her eggs. By the time the baby octopi are ready to hatch, their mother will have starved to death.
Perhaps the most heartbreaking part, though, is that the eggs will never hatch. Ghost was a solitary octopus and her eggs are unfertilized, so she’s letting herself wither away for nothing.
But that’s in Ghost’s nature. Sadly, there’s nothing anyone can do to save her.
Real Charmer
Ghost is a giant Pacific octopus that was born in ocean off the coast of British Columbia, California. Her life got turned upside down, however, when marine biologists caught her for research.
After conducting their studies, the biologists wanted to find a good home for Ghost. She arrived at the Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach, California, in May 2024.
At the aquarium, Ghost quickly stole the hearts of staff and visitors alike. Her fantastic smarts and playfulness turned her into a fan favorite.
“Octopus in particular are incredibly special because of how charismatic and intelligent they seem to be, and we really form tight bonds with these animals,” Nate Jaros, vice presidents of animal care at the Aquarium of the Pacific, told the Associated Press.
Aquarium visitors enjoyed watching Ghost’s caretakers hide treats inside toys and puzzles with moving parts. The cephalopod cracked the proverbial nuts in the blink of an eye, to the delight of onlookers.
One time, the staff spent multiple hours building a huge maze for Ghost to explore. However, she surpassed everyone’s expectations and memorized the maze’s layout almost instantly.
Ghost seemed to enjoy the attention lavished on her. According to the staff, she would purposefully throw away her dinner just so her caregiver would spend more time with her while coaxing her to eat.
Ghost’s antics proved so popular that some guests even got tattoos of her. What a character.
Giving All for Her Kids
Recently, however, Ghost’s life took a dramatic turn — one that will result in its end.
In early September, Ghost laid a bunch of eggs. With that, she entered senescence, the last life stage of a female Pacific octopus.
In case you’re unaware, octopus mothers take parenting extremely seriously. Ghost is ready to die for her eggs, and she will.
A senescent octopus female begins ignoring all of her basic needs in favor of her eggs. For the next few months, Ghost will not eat or rest.
All she will do is sit by her eggs and blow fresh water on them to keep them oxygenated and disease-free.
There’s nothing anyone can do to save Ghost — letting herself die is in her nature. Yet, you can’t help feeling a bit sad knowing that her eggs won’t result in baby octopi.
Ghost has lived alone at the aquarium and her eggs are unfertilized. Yet, there’s a good reason for that. Giant pacific octopuses are highly solitary and territorial, so if the aquarium had introduced a dashing gent to Ghost’s tank, the two would likely have torn each other to shreds.
Oh yeah, speaking of tearing things to shreds. Ghost might start intentionally mutilating herself to give (nonexistent) predators a more attractive target than her eggs, and also to suppress her own cannibalistic instincts.
We suppose that’s motherhood for you.
Last Goodbyes
Unfortunate as Ghost’s impending doom is, she’s has lived a full octopus life. Her species typically dies around five years old, and Ghost is estimated around four years old.
Her fans had a few days earlier this month to go bid farewell to Ghost. However, by the time this article goes out, the aquarium staff will her moved her and her eggs behind the scenes for the remainder of Ghost’s life.
Which is probably for the best. Seeing her rip chunks of herself off might sour some memories.
Ghost’s place will be taken by another giant Pacific octopus that has already arrived at the facility. It doesn’t name yet, as the staff is still assessing its sex and personality.
They have said that the newcomer is a “super curious” and “very outgoing animal.” We’re sure it will do fine and keep educating guests about all things octopus.
Still, it won’t be Ghost.