ROV Hercules Captures the Rare Sight of a Massive Number of Curled Octopus Protecting Their Eggs

While exploring the Davidson Seamount in the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary, the ROV Hercules, launched from the E/V Nautilus captured the extremely rare sight of a massive number of deep sea female octopus protecting their eggs upon while curled upon rocks alongside “shimmering fluid seeps” (natural gas or volcanic liquid) billowing from the seafloor.

Never before seen in these massive aggregations, most female octopus were resting in a brooding posture, tucked into rocks with eight arms inverted covering their bodies and eggs. Many were tucked into rocks near shimmering fluid seeps, which were previously unknown to occur in this region!