Last Tuesday, on his way to work at the Chabil Mar Resort on the Placencia Peninsula in southern Belize, a local man came across an enormous octopus just outside Placencia Village, estimating it to be in excess of 100 kilograms (220 pounds) and almost three meters (nine feet) in length with concentric blue rings on its tentacles. According to the man, who refused to identify himself, the gigantic cephalopod was alive and alert, making its way across the sand towards the Caribbean Sea on the eastern side of the peninsula. Taking several photos of the giant octopus with his phone, the man rushed to the resort to report the sighting, causing quite a stir amongst the guests and staff alike.
Over 300 species of octopuses have been documented around the world but they are rarely seen in Belize so close to the shore. The nearby Belize Barrier Reef, just a few miles offshore from Placencia, is home to the Caribbean Reef species of octopus which rarely exceeds 60 cm in length and 1.5 kg in size.
Jeffrey Eickhoff, a marine biologist from the University of Copenhagen in Denmark, was amongst the guests at Chabil Mar who viewed the photographs of the eight-legged marauder. “From the pictures I saw, it looks like an octopus krakenus, the so-called ‘cow eater’ of Madagascar in Africa. How it came to be on a beach in Belize is truly mysterious”.
The presence of the giant octopus was reported to local Belizean officials who scoured the area but found no trace of the creature. Lance Reault, a French citizen who resides full-time in the village of Placencia, told reporters that several tourists have reported having their clothing, beach towels and picnic items stolen in the same area as where the giant cephalopod was seen. “Last week, two American tourists staying at Chabil Mar went for a swim right in the same spot. And when they came out of the water, they said all their food had been eaten and a pitcher of daiquiris had been drained, even though no one was in the area.”
Photographs of the mysterious octopus have been forwarded to marine biologists in the United States and Canada. If confirmed, the sighting of the octopus krakenus will be the second incident involving the newly-discovered species of giant octopus, which was filmed dragging a large cow into the water in Madagascar in 2011.
Happy April Fool’s Day, everybody!
