In March of 2020 it became clear – long-since planned and anticipated dive trips were not happening due to Covid-19. I launched this website late last year to share observations, experiences and the work of scientists and environmentalists about coral and coral restoration discovered while diving. So now what’s a land-locked Coral Crusader to do?
I tempered disappointment with the reality that many people are suffering from much more than lack of travel, and dove into the kind of research and exploration that I could do from home – digital and literary.
When diving in Wakatobi, Indonesia at the end of 2019, we saw an octopus out on the coral reef during the day. As we watched, we noticed a second octopus navigating, towards the first, changing coloration and patterning as they got closer together and mated. It was amazing, and totally cemented my fascination with cephalopods.
The pandemic left me with lots of time to review my own photos, and after coming across this octopus encounter again, I decided to research octopuses. A gift of staying put was time to dive into areas of interest that would inform my diving– once I could resume that.
For those interested in learning more about these fascinating Cephalopods, I found some wonderful films and books: here’s my list of favs.
Full length documentary for divers and landlubbers that is well filmed, inspiring and fascinating My Octopus Teacher – watch on Netflix here
Short documentary on the science of the octopus brain Why The Octopus Brain Is Extraordinary – watch on Ted.com here
And had time to reread a book about octopuses/octopi, The Soul of an Octopus by Sy Montgomery – find it here
“Enter the mysterious intelligent alien world of the octopus. Experience a real intelligence based on a sense of touch that humans can barely imagine.” — Temple Grandin, author of Animals in Translation
Other Minds by Peter Godfrey-Smith – find it here
“We accompany the author, an avid diver and admirable writer, as he explores the lives of the cephalopods and the origins of consciousness . . .” — Stephen Cave, Financial Times
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