Sea Change: Exploring the Octopus’ Garden

Hey there! Ready to dive into the magical world of the ocean? Well, let me tell you about the fascinating creature known as the octopus and the incredible environment they call their garden.

So, what’s the big deal about octopuses anyway? Well, I’ll tell you! These unique animals are like no other. They have eight remarkable arms that are not only super flexible but also have suction cups to help them explore their surroundings.

Now, imagine this: being able to squeeze through tiny spaces and change your color to match your surroundings. Sounds incredible, right? Well, that’s how octopuses roll. They’re masters of disguise! They can blend into their environment by changing their skin’s color and texture, making them practically invisible to other creatures.

But wait, there’s more! Octopuses are also super smart. In fact, they’re some of the cleverest animals in the ocean. They can solve puzzles, open jars, and even use tools. And get this – they have a special kind of intelligence called “adaptive behavior.” This means they can change their behavior based on what’s happening around them. Talk about being quick on your tentacles!

But what about their garden, you ask? Well, the octopus’ garden isn’t really filled with flowers and plants. Instead, it’s a unique and secluded place where they call home. They make their garden by collecting and arranging objects like shells, rocks, and other debris to create a safe and cozy space. It’s their very own underwater sanctuary.

Now, let’s dive a little deeper into why the octopus’ garden is so important. You see, this special place isn’t just a comfy home for the octopus; it’s also essential for their survival. When they feel threatened or in danger, they retreat to their garden where they can hide and protect themselves from predators.

And that’s not all – their garden also plays a vital role in their mating behavior. Male octopuses use their garden to attract females and show off their skills. Think of it like a dance floor where they impress their potential partners with their amazing abilities, like changing colors and performing daring acrobatics.

So, the octopus’ garden isn’t just a bunch of pretty decorations. It’s a place of safety, a sanctuary, and a stage for love. It’s where they can be their true, magnificent selves.

Now you know why octopuses and their gardens are so incredible. They’re like the superheroes of the underwater world, using their superpowers to navigate their environment and create a sanctuary of their own.

So, next time you think about the ocean, remember the marvelous octopus and their magical garden. Who knows, maybe one day you’ll be lucky enough to explore the depths of the sea and witness the wonder for yourself. It’s a whole new world down there!

For almost ten years, my team and I have been delving into the depths of the African sea forests. Our goal? To uncover the mysteries of life along the coast and document our findings in an extraordinary film called “My Octopus Teacher.” In this captivating book, “Sea Change,” we share our remarkable journey and the incredible creatures we’ve encountered.

Photos: Sea Change Project

The ocean is a magnificent and mysterious place. It’s like a magical kingdom full of incredible creatures and captivating wonders. It’s a world that demands respect, but it doesn’t need to be feared. Fear comes from a lack of understanding, and sometimes not knowing the behavior of the animals that inhabit the water.

The Story of Craig Foster

Let me tell you about a remarkable man named Craig Foster, who became one of my greatest teachers. Five years ago, he embarked on an extraordinary experiment that forever changed the way he saw the world. Craig decided to dive into the cold waters of False Bay’s sea forest every single day. Can you imagine that? Swimming in the chilly ocean every day?

Through his daily dives, Craig discovered the most incredible things. You might have seen some of his adventures in the film My Octopus Teacher, which has captivated audiences all around the world. But there’s so much more to his story.

One of the things Craig learned was the art of tracking animals underwater. Just like our ancestors did, he studied the movements of sea creatures and how they hunted. He even encountered new species and witnessed behavior that had never been seen before, recording it all for the world to see. Along with his collaborators at the Sea Change Project, like Ross Frylinck and Pippa Erlich, Craig became a true disciple of the cold ocean. They reveled in the mental and physical benefits of immersing themselves in the frigid waters, finding tranquility in the underwater realm.

It’s fascinating to compare this to divers who wore thick wetsuits and bulky scuba gear. They would emerge from the ocean, shivering and cold. But right beside them, a group of brave free divers, wearing nothing but shorts or bikinis, would happily plunge back into the freezing depths.

Look at this little trap limpet, just lying in wait for a kelp frond to flow beneath it. And when it does, bam! The trap slams shut, and the limpet gets a nice meal.

When I was first introduced to this world, my mind and body fought against it. At first, all I could focus on was the cold, but as time went on, I started to see things differently. Craig showed me how powerful it can be to immerse ourselves in cold water. It’s like everything is on fast-forward, making us more aware of our vulnerability and heightening our senses.

Swimming through the forest, I would pull myself down on long kelp stems, diving deeper and holding my breath for longer periods of time. The deeper I went, the clearer everything became. I had a newfound appreciation for the wildlife that surrounded me, as they accepted me without any fear or favoritism.

I find myself returning to this environment time and time again, hoping to share a glimpse of it with you through these pages. Maybe it will even inspire you to step into this new world.

Did you know that this amazing creature called the blue dragon or sea swallow has a unique way of surviving? It lives by floating on the open ocean and feeds on bluebottles. But here’s the cool part – it stores the stinging cells of these bluebottles in its own body to protect itself from predators.

I found this extraordinary blue button floating on the surface of the ocean. It’s like a little creature with a round, flat body and a circle of ‘tentacles’. But guess what? Those tentacles aren’t really tentacles at all! They’re a bunch of hydroids, living and working together.

The blue button is a delicate creature. When it gets washed up on the shore, its tentacles often break off, so finding one that’s still fully intact is incredibly rare.

The kelp forests of South Africa are home to a diverse group of fish known as klipvis. Interestingly, there are at least 24 different species of klipvis that can only be found in these forests. One of these unique fish is the nose-stripe klipvis, which lives in the intertidal zone. What makes this fish fascinating is its ability to survive for several hours out of the water, as long as it remains moist.

However, the superstar of the klipvis family is the super klipvis. These fish are bold and charismatic, and they have a habit of photobombing our pictures whenever we encounter them in the forest. It’s hard to resist their charm!

One interesting behavior displayed by the super klipvis is their tendency to follow octopuses around. They patiently wait for the octopus to flush out small animals while hunting or constructing a den. Sometimes, the octopus will catch and eat a super klipvis, but more often than not, they end up nibbling on the octopus’s arm or playfully harassing it if it has managed to catch some prey.

These fascinating interactions between the octopuses and the super klipvis make observing them in the kelp forests a truly remarkable experience. You never know what unexpected surprises and encounters await you in this magical underwater world!

I’m Craig Foster, and I’ve been making films for over thirty years. During my career, I’ve been fortunate enough to win over 60 international awards, and even received the prestigious Golden Panda, which is like the ‘Oscar’ of natural history filmmaking. But my passion for nature goes far beyond filmmaking.

You see, I grew up on the Cape Peninsula, where I spent my childhood exploring and diving in search of hidden treasures. And for the past eight years, I’ve made it my personal mission to dive in the kelp forest 365 times a year. It’s become a part of who I am.

Through my dives, I’ve had the incredible opportunity to collaborate with some of the world’s leading experts in kelp forest biology, archaeology, anthropology, and San rock art. Together, we’ve unraveled the mysteries of this remarkable ecosystem, and shared its wonders with the world.

Have you ever seen a pair of rocksuckers acting strangely? I recently witnessed this peculiar behavior in these two creatures. They were moving towards each other, sliding on their suction pads. To my surprise, they bumped into each other and something remarkable happened. One of them underwent a complete transformation, changing its color from a dark brown shade to a vibrant, bright yellow hue. It was a mesmerizing sight!

As time passed, I realized that this color change was not just a random occurrence. It had a purpose. The rocksucker that changed color started laying eggs shortly after. It dawned on me that what I witnessed was a courtship dance – a mating ritual unique to these rocksuckers. No one had ever seen or recorded this behavior before, making it all the more intriguing.

Imagine looking up from beneath the water’s surface and spotting this incredible image. It’s a shell that belongs to a fascinating creature known as a globular bubble raft shell. This extraordinary being has actually evolved from a snail that used to live on the ocean floor, known as a wentletrap. Interestingly, wentletraps still exist today.

Now, let me tell you something truly remarkable. These bubble rafters actually inhabit the uppermost part of the vast open ocean. They have a unique way of suspending themselves there. You see, they create their own stream of bubbles, and these bubbles eventually harden to form a sturdy raft. It’s quite an impressive feat!

So, what exactly are these bubble raft shells up to? Well, this particular species of bubble rafter uses its bubble raft as a cozy home for its offspring. It cleverly broods its young right there on the raft. And here’s something interesting to observe: the color of the eggs. You’ll notice that as time goes on, the eggs laid earlier become darker and more developed than the newly laid pink ones. It’s a captivating sight!

I’m Pippa Ehrlich, one of the co-directors of the amazing documentary “My Octopus Teacher”. Over the past 10 years, I’ve had the incredible opportunity to immerse myself in the world of nature, science, and conservation as a journalist and filmmaker. Throughout my journey, I’ve had the privilege of collaborating with leading marine scientists and underwater photographers from all corners of the globe.

For the past decade, I’ve been exploring and free-diving in the captivating sea forest of Cape Town. It’s a mesmerizing experience to plunge into the depths of the ocean and discover the hidden wonders that lie beneath the surface. Recently, I’ve taken my passion even further by embracing skin-diving, diving without a wetsuit, on an almost daily basis.

Currently, I’m deeply engaged in editing and co-directing a remarkable documentary that centers around the magnificent kelp forest. This project combines the realms of natural history, indigenous philosophy, and wilderness psychology. We aim to delve into the profound connection between humans and the wonders of the natural world.

Did you know that you can actually tell what a young abalone has eaten by looking at the colors on its shell? It’s true! This is a really rare thing in nature. The diet of an abalone can change a lot, from eating bacteria and algal sporelings to eating kelp and then back to bacteria again. The red on the shell indicates a diet of microbial film, while the blue indicates a diet of kelp. Just like the rings you see on tree trunks, these color patterns can tell us a lot about an abalone’s life. We can learn about what it ate and even the temperature of the water it lived in. If the shell is really old, we can even get a glimpse into the ancient climate when the abalone was alive. It’s pretty amazing, don’t you think?

Hey there! Have you ever heard of heart urchins? They’re these super mysterious creatures that live in the sea. You won’t easily find them because they like to hide in burrows they make in the sandy ground of the ocean floor. These burrows are like little pockets that collect tiny bits of stuff, like leaves from kelp, that float around in the water. And guess what? Heart urchins eat this stuff to survive!

Now, you might be thinking, “Eating sand? Really?” Well, it’s true! Heart urchins have special body parts that let them analyze and filter out all the good bits from the sand particles. They have this really long tube of a belly, around a meter long, which helps them digest and get all the nutrients they need from the sand.

I’ve always had a deep connection with the South African coastline. As a surfer and free-diver, I’ve spent most of my life exploring the waves and the mysteries beneath the surface. The ocean has been my playground and my sanctuary, teaching me countless lessons about life and the environment.

Over the past 15 years, I’ve dedicated myself to protecting and celebrating our oceans. I founded the Wavescape Ocean Festival, a platform that brings together people from all walks of life to raise awareness about ocean conservation and promote ocean culture.

Before my journey into ocean advocacy, I worked as a commissioning editor for Cambridge University Press. However, my true passion has always been storytelling, especially when it comes to the sea. I still remember writing my first school essay about the wonders of the ocean.

The ocean is not just a source of endless beauty and adventure; it also plays a vital role in our planet’s health. It is a delicate ecosystem that requires our utmost care and respect. By understanding and appreciating the ocean, we can make informed decisions that will benefit both ourselves and the environment.

Through my work, I hope to inspire others to connect with the ocean and take action to protect it. Whether you’re a surfer, a diver, or simply a lover of nature, the ocean has something to offer everyone. So, dive in, explore its depths, and join me on this incredible journey of discovery and conservation.

Have you ever heard of argonauts? They’re like ancient octopuses that have been sailing the oceans for ages, even before the time of the dinosaurs. It’s fascinating to think about these creatures and how they’ve adapted to life in the sea.

One interesting thing about argonauts is that only the females have a shell. This shell is actually quite beautiful. The female argonaut can gulp air from the surface and keep just enough air in her shell to help her float in the water. It’s like her own personal buoyancy device!

The male argonaut, on the other hand, is much smaller than the female. In fact, he’s about 600 times lighter! And unlike the female, he doesn’t have a shell. It’s interesting to see how these two creatures differ from each other, even though they are the same species.

Imagine a beautiful image: a pregnant fish, called an agile klipvis, curled up inside a enormous limpet shell. Can you picture it in your mind? It’s quite a sight!

A whole new world of discovery awaits you in the mesmerizing pages of Sea Change. Immerse yourself in this captivating book that uncovers the mysteries of the Southern African Kelp Forest. For eight remarkable years, my partner, Craig, and I embarked on an extraordinary adventure, exploring this enchanting underwater realm day after day. As you turn the pages, you’ll be transported into the depths of the wild, witnessing the wonders we encountered and the profound impact they had on our lives.

Get ready to be entranced by the stunning visuals in Sea Change. With over 240 breathtaking images meticulously captured by our lenses, you’ll witness the true beauty and diversity of this underwater kingdom. Each photograph tells a unique story, drawing you into a realm filled with spellbinding creatures, vibrant colors, and awe-inspiring landscapes.

seachangeproject.com is your gateway to the extraordinary world we have documented. On our website, you’ll find exclusive content, behind-the-scenes insights, and additional photographs that complement the journey you’ll embark on in Sea Change. Explore the depths with us, and gain a deeper understanding of the fascinating life that thrives beneath the waves.

Experience the magic of Sea Change for yourself. This remarkable book, published by Quivertree Publications, can be yours for R395. It’s more than just a book, it’s a doorway to a whole new perspective. Dive in, and let your imagination soar as you enter the secret universe of the Southern African Kelp Forest. Sir David Attenborough himself describes it as ‘a magnificent book.’