Octopus Ballet

This white octopus was filmed with a high-definition underwater video camera at 6600 feet depth 200 miles off the coast of Oregon in September 2005 as part of the VISIONS ’05 expedition led by Professors John Delaney and Deborah Kelley of the University of Washington. Little is known about the deep-sea octopuses that live in proximity to the hydrothermal vent fields associated with the underwater volcanoes of the Juan de Fuca Ridge in the Northeast Pacific Ocean. This video features the Grimpoteuthis bathynectes species. Sometimes nicknamed the Dumbo octopus, its ears are really fins that help it move through the water. Primary sponsors of the VISIONS ’05 Expedition were the National Science Foundation, W.M. Keck Foundation, NOAA Coastal Services Center, University of Washington, and the ResearchChannel. Special thanks to Jerome M. Paros and Elaina Jorgensen. Music courtesy of Bryan Verhoye. Video production by Nancy Penrose © University of Washington, 2009 For more underwater video visit