5 Astonishing Octopus Escape Stories from Aquariums Around the World
Octopus escape stories never stop being strange to read about. Nothing dramatic happens in the moment. Staff locks up for the night, everything looks in place, and by morning, something doesn’t add up. A lid has been moved, a tank looks disturbed, or an octopus is simply gone.
Over the years, aquariums have dealt with octopuses that unscrew caps, slip through narrow openings, and move through plumbing like it’s nothing. Some even make their way back. These aren’t accidents. They show patience, memory, and a level of problem-solving that still surprises people who work with them every day.
Inky
Credit: The National Aquarium of New Zealand
Inky escaped overnight from the National Aquarium of New Zealand in 2016. The only clue that something had happened was an empty tank. Inky had lifted the lid to push his way out after closing, crossed the floor, and found a drainpipe barely six inches wide that led straight to the ocean. No one watched him leave, but the route made sense when the staff arrived.
Sid
Credit: Wikipedia
Sid never needed a big opening to get out. Even a gap no wider than a couple of fingers was enough. He slipped away more than once, and once he vanished into a drain for five days before showing up again as if nothing had happened. Each time, the staff tightened things up, closing gaps and reinforcing the enclosure. It worked for a while, then Sid found another way. In the end, it became clear he would keep figuring it out. Keeping him contained started to feel pointless, so they let him go.
The Bermuda Crab Thief
Credit: Wikimedia Commons
One octopus regularly left its tank at night and entered a neighboring enclosure. The only evidence appeared in the morning, first as missing crabs and later as empty shells. There were no signs of damage or forced entry, and no one ever saw it happen. The repeated pattern showed the same behavior each time: it moved between tanks on its own and returned before staff arrived.
The Seattle Shark Incident
Credit: Wikimedia Commons
At the Seattle Aquarium, several small dogfish sharks in a neighboring tank were found dead over a short period. There was no visible breach in the enclosure. Investigators concluded the resident giant Pacific octopus had been leaving its tank at night, entering the shark tank, and returning undetected. The losses stopped once the octopus was relocated.
Harry
Credit: Wikimedia Commons
Harry was discovered outside his enclosure, sitting on a staircase inside the facility. There was no immediate indication of how he got there. Like other cases, the escape happened out of view. The only confirmed detail was that he had left the tank and moved through the building on his own.