2025 Declared The Year for Octopuses Off Britain's Southern Shores.
Exceptionally high sightings of a remarkably clever cephalopod this past summer have led to the naming of 2025 as “the year of the octopus” in a yearly report of UK coastal waters.
A Perfect Storm Driving a Surge
A mild winter and then a remarkably hot spring prompted a huge population of *Octopus vulgaris* to settle along England’s south coast, spanning the Cornish and Devonian coasts.
“The scale of the catch was of the order of about 13 times what we would usually anticipate in this region,” stated an ocean conservation expert. “When we added up the numbers, approximately 233,000 octopuses were present in these waters this year – which is a significant rise from historical averages.”
*Octopus vulgaris* is indigenous to British seas but usually so scarce it is rarely seen. An explosive growth is caused by a combination of a mild winter and favorable spring temperatures. This perfect scenario meant more larvae, possibly in part fuelled by large numbers of other marine life seen in the area.
An Uncommon Occurrence
The most recent occasion, an octopus bloom of this size was documented in the mid-20th century, with past documentation indicating the one before that was in 1900.
The sheer quantity of octopuses meant they could be frequently seen in shallow waters for the first time in recent history. Underwater recordings show octopuses gathering in groups – they are usually solitary – and moving along the bottom on their tentacle tips. A curious octopus was even seen investigating submarine recording equipment.
“On my initial dive off the Lizard peninsula this year I saw five of these creatures,” the specialist continued. “And these are big. Two kinds exist in the region. One species is smaller, football-sized, but these newcomers can be with a span of 1.5 meters.”
Future Prospects and Other Surprises
A second gentle winter going into 2026 could lead to a second bloom next year, because in the past, under these conditions, the blooms have repeated for two years running.
“However, it is unlikely, looking at history, that it will persist indefinitely,” they cautioned. “But the sea keeps giving us surprises these days so it’s hard to forecast.”
The annual review also noted additional positive marine news along the coast, including:
- Unprecedented numbers of gray seals observed in one northern region.
- Record numbers of the iconic seabirds on an island off Wales.
- The first recording of an unusual mollusc in a northern county, normally residing farther south.
- A Mediterranean fish species spotted off the coast of a southern county for the first time.
A Note of Caution
Not everything was good news, however. “The year was bookended by ecological challenges,” stated an expert. “A major tanker collision in March and a spill of industrial pellets off the southern coast highlighted ongoing threats. Dedicated individuals are making huge efforts to protect and restore our coasts.”