Octopus 'Rides' Dolphin Off UK Coast in Rare Photos

Stunning images taken by Bill Coulson, a volunteer with the Risso's Dolphin Project South West, depict a common octopus (Octopus vulgaris) clinging to the dorsal fin of a Risso's dolphin (Grampus griseus) near Berry Head in Devon, UK. Shared by the Marine Biological Association, these photos emerge during an extraordinary rise in common octopus numbers along the South West coast, marked as the largest bloom in over 75 years. Researchers are examining the impact of warming seas on marine ecosystems, with indications that the octopus population may have originated from breeding areas near the Channel Islands and northern France, transported by ocean currents. Josh Symes, an MSc researcher at the University of Exeter, emphasized the importance of citizen science in enhancing our understanding of marine wildlife and the feeding habits of Risso's dolphins, which mainly consume squid and other cephalopods.