curious octopus floods aquarium

Photo: Santa Monica Pier Aquarium

In this article from National Geographic called "Curious Octopus Floods Aquarium," Christine Dell'Amore has an intriguing report that reminds us of a part of the world a lot of us aren't exactly in touch with... or for that matter: part of the world all of us can't be in. The ocean.

Dell'Amore wrote about a curious female octopus and her little escapade. The entire story is centered around this octopus and her behavior. According to the piece, "she has managed to disassemble a valve and released 200 gallons of seawater into nearby exhibits and offices". While this isn't exactly world-changing news, the writing impresses still in its' simplicity describing an intelligent creature. A lot of people forget that the octopi are smart, strong creatures thanks to its' overwhelmingly unique shape. She reminds us that aquatic animals, though most of them don't have a voice to communicate like us and the other animals that co-habit in this world, should not be treated as second rate citizens of the earth.

What's really intriguing is the reporting behind all this. How much time did she spend working on this piece? How many research did she do beforehand? I think you have to have a genuine interest to be able to execute a piece like this. Did she go visit the octopus in the aquarium or did she just sit in her office and made phone calls?

The article translates various facts into generally digestible sentences and makes it a joy to read. The style is fun and inviting and instead of becoming a scientific textbook bore, it has given me an entertaining "the more you know" moment. What made me think that she might just write this article over phone calls is the lack of personalized details of the subject. There's never really an detailed description that gives readers a sense of reality: this is what an octopus looks like and does. It's just something to connect to the readers and escort them to the "world" that they don't know. This article is more a newsy kind for me.

I like the fact that the article has a video in which people can see an octopus squeezing through a nine-inch hole. I think that adds so much to the consumer experience in terms of interactivity.