Review by: Samantha M. Chandler
Hey friends! First of all, before I octopy your thoughts (hehehehe here I go just Kraken myself up!) with this awesome review, I would love it if you could use one of your phalanges to push the blue follow button to the right of this review, maybe even add your email address to get updates, and share with a friend you think may enjoy this via your social media of choice. I would greatly appreciate it.
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Quick Summary:
In the history of sea folklore, the octopus has always been this terrifying and mystifying monster. I mean the Kraken stories from pirates and seafarers, the octopus from Jules Verne’s 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, and the troubling stories of Cthulhu (literally Lovecraftian) are enough to make you never want to look at an octopus and what they may become. This isn’t even considering the idea that they are powerful, intelligent, and can destroy so much in a matter of seconds. This book puts those past fears aside (queue mucous blob, ginormous suckers, and grabby tentacles) and says let us embrace these wonderful creatures’ consciousness, intelligence, beauty, and power. Sy Montgomery’s amazing book will show you that octopuses are more than just blobs in the sea that have 8 arms and a beak. Instead, we are lucky to view them as problem solvers that awe their spectators with their everyday skills and beauty. She helps welcome you into the consciousness of octopuses at the New England Aquarium with her octopus friends Athena, Octavia, Kali, and Karma as well as Squirt and Rain at the Seattle Aquarium. Montgomery also shows the consciousness of octopuses in the wild on her dives. She meets many new human and animal friends along her journey throughout the book that will melt your heart. It will help you appreciate that animals at zoos and aquariums, as well as their very abled and loving caretakers. So, let’s dive right into this rocktopus review!
The Review
The Soul of an Octopus is a fantastic read! The genres are scientific, nonfiction, and animals. I am a complete SUCKER for animal books but sometimes struggle with sciency portion because they can throw a lot of jargon at your face which can quickly become overwhelming. While Montgomery does include science stuff, it is explained in a language for non-scientific beings to follow (me). Anyone who knows me knows that if it has to do with animals or water, I’m in. This book reminded me that not only do humans not understand everything about animals (including ourselves) but also how little we know about the ways we are impacted by/impacting them and their lives. We can learn a lot from the nature around us. Take a break from the computers or cell phones and remember to embrace that nature that is around you (after reading this article of course).
I would highly recommend this tenticalizing book. Like the author, I know many people who find these wonderful and interesting creatures as monsters. Also, like the author, I have been fascinated since I was a little one with anything that could be a monster. It’s a 9/10 for me because it had the ability to SUCK me right in! The score is lower due to the fact that when viewing some of the pictures, there weren’t as many as I would have liked to see. Furthermore, Sy decided to put pictures of an octopus we hadn’t met yet in the middle of the book. I would have preferred the pictures during the chapter of each octopus. However, they were in color which was a nice bonus as she continued to keep talking about the brilliant colors of her salty friends and I wanted to see them! I related to each of the people and animals in different ways, and I learned so much about octopuses. It also reminded me of every aquarium I have been at and how I stare at each magnificent animal with complete awe and wonder for different reasons. It’s one of those books that was showing me animals have consciousness, but not in an “I will put you to sleep” kind of way. The three things that I think made this book so valuable to me were the animals, the humans, and the knowledge I gained from both human and animal creatures.
The Animals
There is no doubt in my mind that animals are a huge part of human daily life. I mean think about it. Do you drink milk? Like hamburgers? What about vegetables (need manure for plants)? Have a pet(s)? Birdfeeders? Like nature walks? BACON?! Every day, humans are somehow interacting with animals. However, people at aquariums all over the world are interacting with some of the most amazing animals of the water. This book is an inside account of that. Montgomery does a magnificent job of showing how the animals (in particular, the octopuses) have personalities, quirks, intelligence, skills, and feelings. They are not just creatures that move mindlessly and do what nature intended them to do (well sometimes they do), but they also have abilities that go far beyond what the human mind could have fathomed. I liked learning about the personality of each octopus. That was probably my favorite part. Secondly, I enjoyed understanding and hearing the background of each octopus. Where it came from, what it ate, what skills it had, injuries, anything Montgomery could have told me. I absorbed up all of that knowledge.
Athena: This is the first octopus met at the New England Aquarium. As a lover of mythology, this name means Goddess of Wisdom and War. I think Athena being the first octopus in the book couldn’t have been more of a better experience or fitting understanding. First, Goddess of Wisdom. I mean we are reading a book on the consciousness of an octopus. They have different colors and can raise bumps to not only blend into their surroundings but to communicate to other conscious species. Second, Goddess of War. To be a true warrior one needs strength, intelligence, and flexibility. Octopuses have that. A 2.5-inch diameter sucker can lift up to 35 pounds. That is just one sucker! Times that by 1,600 (the average amount of suckers on Athena) and she can lift a total of 56,000 pounds! That is assuming that the size of all of the suckers are the same (pg 14). Holy shit people! (Okay, okay. I know this doesn’t help the whole dangerous sea creature that can kill me thing).
Octavia: I really like this one’s name for the obvious reason of octo meaning 8, but also for the fact that a young schoolgirl named her. Unlike Athena, Octavia came from British Columbian waters. She is standoffish (I mean she was taken from the free waters sooooooo that makes sense). She is a bit different than the other octopuses because she lived in the wild before being transferred to the aquarium. She has the ability to camouflage. Most of the octopuses in exhibits don’t have that true ability because they are put into barren tanks when younger and never learn that skill. However, Octavia came from the big blue and was old enough to have learned some camouflaging skills.
Myrtle the Turtle: She is a 550-pound sea turtle queen that is about 80 years old. Now not only are these facts about Myrtle cool, but she was part of a really neat study that proved that reptiles can learn! Myrtle was given 3 small platforms. Two of the platforms had speakers and the middle platform had a light box. She had to complete a certain task if certain outcomes occurred. For example: if the light in the middle box went on, she was supposed to touch it with her flipper. However, if the light went on with a sound, she had to MAKE THE CHOICE of which speaker was making the sound and touch that platform (pg 32). “It was a complex task because it involved more than responding to one request or command. It demanded that Myrtle make a decision” (pg 32). She had to be conscious of her choice. How neat is that?!
Kali: She was named for the creative destruction Hindu goddess. She has some spunk. She is in the back of the aquarium in a barrel since there isn’t a lot of space for her to have her own tank and hates it. Eventually, she is transferred to a large tank in the back and has the time of her life there. That was one of my happiest reading moments. Observing her through the eyes of the writer was really enjoyable and rewarding.
Karma: An octopus shipped from the West Coast to the East Coast. That whole process was very fascinating to learn about. Ken Wong is the dude who caught her. Octopuses are elusive and Wong had to find one that would be good on display. This means reasonable weight. A prime octopus cannot be over 30 pounds because those breed in the wild, and not anything too small as they are superb escape artists. The octopus must also have good sturdy limbs as they often get eaten by predators.
The People
This book is wonderful in the fact that the main focus is on the aquarium animals. However, there are some incredible air breathers that are going to have an impact on you if you so choose to read this book. Sy Montgomery is in the book as it is her narrative and piece of work. I didn’t even realize that I had read one of her other books about the Golden Moon Bear! She was vulnerable as she wrote this novel and I appreciated that as a reader. Wilson, Scott, and Bill are some of the hardest working adults at the aquarium. They dedicate their heart and soul to the aquarium animals and to the others in their lives. Some of their stories will empower you, make you cry, and just appreciate life a little more. Christa and Danny are twins that have a wonderful story of co-dependence and an amazing bond as siblings. I love the story when they get to see Octavia together and Danny is beside himself. Big D Morrison is a hilarious scuba instructor that also volunteers at the New England Aquarium. Then there is Anna, the one person who had the biggest impact on me as I was reading. She has Asperger’s and it reminds me of some of my former students that do as well. My favorite blurb about her is when the group went out to eat and she later tells the group about all of the animals that have bitten her… going through the alphabet backwards! She has had all of these incredible adventures and she has seen so much for someone her age.
The Knowledge
The knowledge within this book is truly amazing. The first thing I learned was that when there is more than just one octopus, they are called octopuses and not octopi. If I remember correctly, octopus is a Greek word meaning that it needs to have a Greek ending (es), not the Latin ending for multiple of something (i). So octopi is incorrect. (I am totally picturing an octopus holding 8 pies ORRRRRRR the Pi symbol with 8 tentacles in front of the Pi symbol.
My inner child freaking loved this book. I felt like I was in elementary school when I was able to learn about all of these cool animals! I had so many questions before, during, and after the book! Can I touch an octopus? Why is it that when they mate, they die afterwards? What is it like to swim with octopuses? How do the suckers work and what are their jobs? Why do they need three hearts and also why is their blood blue? How many species of octopuses have been discovered? I know they are covered in mucous but what do they feel like? Like a little bit slimy sting ray? What’s the largest octopus ever discovered? Tiniest? What’s the age of the oldest octopus discovered? What happens if an arm is eaten or injured? How old do they live to be in the wild? In captivity? Many of these questions are answered within the book and some I had to do a little more research on.
The author mentions that octopuses have personalities. I mean that doesn’t surprise me. However, many scientists (like the famous Jane Goodall and not so famous me) argue against the thinking of Rene Descartes’ original ideas from the 1600s. He states, “that only people think (and therefore only people exist in a moral universe)” (pg 10). This thinking might have been persuasive at the time and for hundreds of years, but I think it’s time humans re-evaluate this thought. I mean, Jane Goodall (THE chimpanzee scientist) was terrified to publish some of her findings because she knew the scientific community would look down on it. Psh, animals do have personalities, feelings, and thoughts. Jane Goodall could and can prove it. But because of Descartes’ thoughts, it is hard to break that mold that has been formed for so long. That is intimidating.
But consciousness is there. Many if not all animals have it. I love going to the zoo and out in nature to witness this. I mean if you really study any animal you can see a personality. Because I love talking about my fur kids, let’s look at their personalities. My cat, Maleficent is loving (in her own special kitty cat way), does things on her own terms, is grumpy 90% of the day, acts like she doesn’t love Domino, is analytical (seriously, some of the jumps she makes are incredible) and acts like a spoiled princess. My dog, Domino, is a momma’s boy who loves other dogs, long walks, toys, cats, and some people. Domino is a cuddler, very ditzy on his feet, and will do anything for a treat. They each have their own personality. Any animal observer can tell you that. I am a believer that nature has consciousness. We may not understand it, but it’s there. I know that some people will disagree with these thoughts, but humans aren’t the only ones that have personalities, feelings, and thoughts.
The Amazon electric eel has consciousness as well. It is able to learn, adapt, and also have dreams! At the New England Aquarium, the electric eel was hiding in the leaves which makes it hard for people to see them. Scott trained the eel to become more visible by inventing the Worm Deployer (a dope ass name for an invention, if I do say so myself!). The idea was, it dropped a few worms in front of the most popular hiding spot. The eel would of course peak out, but the staff would randomly drop worms so the eel would not know when it was coming and encourage him to stay out longer for the public to see. Plus, they have this cool tool called a voltmeter on his tank that reads the electricity in the water. When Sy and Scott go to see the eel, the eel was asleep. Even when the eel was sleeping, he was emitting electricity. He was dreaming of hunting and stunning his prey. How zaptacular is that?! That’s consciousness! (pgs 36-39). You have to read it just for all of the cool experiments and knowledge we learn from these magnificent creatures. Not just the octopuses, but the other animals of the sea.
Octopuses can change colors and camouflage. We all knew that. But so what?! This is a huge part of Sy’s argument on consciousness. The aquarium octopuses could change color, yes, but ocean captured octopuses learned to camouflage with the background. They have the ability to shift up to 50 different patterns! “They can change color, pattern, and texture in 7/10 of a second,” (pg 45). This isn’t just an instinct. There is no way. “They have to choose the display for the occasion, monitor the results, and change again if necessary,” (pg 46). I mean think about it. Do they need to hide from a predator? Do they need to mimic an animal that a predator doesn’t like to eat? Do they want to catch a fish? Did they move to a different location and need to blend in with the surroundings? Sometimes they change based on mood. Like red is excited while white means chill. Another disguise octopuses use is called the eyebar. Octopuses make a thick, dark line and extend to the outer edge of the eye from either end to each slit, masking the roundness of an eye. And to do all of these feats, they need to have neurons. If the octopuses brain averages a walnut-size, they have about 300 million neurons! Rats have 200 million, frogs have 16 million, pond snails have 11,000, while humans have 100 billion. The octopus neurons aren’t all in the brain of the octo, they are in the arms as well!!
DID you know that an octopus used to have a shell at one point in their evolution… because I did not! I think the author used this quote best-describing octopuses of today: “the animal is a big packet of unprotected protein,” (pg 82). In chapter 3, there are observations scientists and people have made about how the protein packets problem-solve to protect themselves.
Also, I learned that an octopus can regenerate about 1/3 of an arm in 6 weeks. Holy crap. Imagine if a human did that! Oh, you broke part of your arm, the radius. That will take you about 6 weeks to repair that! They even grow back with the same strength and capabilities! Even the specialized sex arm of the male, the ligula, can be fully regrown (pgs 103-104). This is not at all like the cool lizards I grew up reading about where they can regenerate a tail, but its new tail is not as OP as the original. The octopuses’ regeneration returns the appendage to 100 percent functioning capacity.
I couldn’t just forget about octopus ink. Octopus ink, in addition to the pigment melanin, has other important chemicals. One is tyrosinase, an enzyme that irritates the eyes and clogs the gills… pretty important for a protein packet. Imagine just swimming along, you get close to this bumpy rock, and INK. OOOOOOOOO my eyes burn and breathing becomes difficult. It reminds me of the Dilophosaurus from Jurassic Park! The ink can have other effects, too. On mammals, the enzyme blocks the action of the hormones oxytocin (the cuddle hormone) and vasopressin (circulation). This has the ability to calm another species down. In addition to those hormones, the ink contains dopamine (reward hormone) which is useful if a predator gets a mouthful of ink, it will sense the amino acids that normally tell them they are eating flesh. This means the predator may act as if they have already eaten their prey and give up in trying to munch on a protein packet, (pg 159).
There is just so much to learn about, not only in this scientific and educational book, but also of the ocean, the rainforest, and so many other places. Humans have just scratched the surface of understanding the living and non-living creatures of this Earth. We have so much to learn and so much to appreciate every single day. This book reminded me of that. Thank you Sy Montgomery. Grab some iced tea and cuddle up with this beauty if you want to think, analyze, and maybe change your schema on the ways of the octopus.
IN CONCLUSION, READ THE FRACKING BOOK!
Up Next: Almond: A Novel, by Won-Pyung Sohn
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