2025 Proclaimed the 'Year of the Octopus' Off Britain's Southern Shores.

Exceptionally high sightings of a supremely intelligent sea creature this past summer have prompted the naming of 2025 as “the year of the octopus” in an annual review of UK coastal waters.

A Perfect Storm Driving a Surge

An unusually warm winter followed by a very warm springtime triggered a huge population of common octopuses (*Octopus vulgaris*) to settle along the shores from Cornwall to Devon, spanning the Cornish and Devonian coasts.

“The reported landings was of the order of about 13 times what we would typically see in the waters around Cornwall,” stated a marine conservation officer. “Calculating the figures, nearly a quarter of a million octopuses were present in UK waters this year – representing a massive jump from what is typical.”

The Mediterranean octopus is native to these waters but ordinarily in such small numbers it is infrequently encountered. An explosive growth is caused by a combination of gentle winter conditions and a warm breeding season. This perfect scenario meant more larvae, maybe aided by abundant stocks of spider crabs also recorded.

A Historic Event

The last time, a population surge of this scale comparable was observed in 1950, with archival data indicating the last bloom prior to that occurred in 1900.

The remarkable abundance of octopuses meant they could be easily spotted in shallow waters for a rare occurrence. Video footage show octopuses congregating together – they are usually solitary – and moving along the ocean floor on their arm ends. One individual was even filmed grabbing an underwater camera.

“On my initial dive in that area this year I saw multiple octopuses,” the specialist continued. “And these are big. Two kinds exist in these waters. The curled octopus is rather small, the size of a ball, but these newcomers can be reaching impressive sizes.”

Looking Ahead & Coastal Highlights

If conditions remain mild heading into next year meant it was possible a repeat event next year, because in the past, with such patterns, the blooms have repeated for two consecutive years.

“But, it's improbable, based on past events, that it will go on for a long time,” they said. “Marine life is unpredictable currently so it’s hard to forecast.”

The assessment also noted further encouraging coastal sightings along the coast, including:

• Highest-ever counts of grey seals observed in one northern region.
• Record numbers of the iconic seabirds on an island off Wales.
• The initial discovery of a rare sea slug in Yorkshire, normally residing farther south.
• A variable blenny discovered 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 environmental disasters,” noted a conservation leader. “A significant shipping incident in the North Sea and a spill of plastic pollution off the Sussex coast were serious issues. Conservation teams are working tirelessly to defend and heal our marine habitats.”