2025 Declared the 'Year of the Octopus' Off England's South Coast.

Record-breaking sightings of a remarkably clever cephalopod over the summer months have led to the declaration of 2025 as the year for octopuses in a yearly report of UK coastal waters.

Ideal Conditions Leading to an Explosion

A mild winter coupled with a very warm springtime triggered unprecedented numbers of common octopuses (*Octopus vulgaris*) to establish themselves along England’s south coast, across the southwestern peninsula.

“The volume of octopuses caught was roughly over a dozen times what we would typically see in Cornish waters,” commented an ocean conservation expert. “Calculating the figures, approximately 233,000 octopuses were present in British seas this year – that’s a huge increase from the norm.”

The common octopus is found in UK waters but usually so scarce it is infrequently encountered. A sudden increase is caused by a combination of a mild winter and favorable spring temperatures. Such favorable circumstances meant more larvae, maybe aided by large numbers of a favored prey species noted in recent years.

A Rare Phenomenon

Previously, an octopus bloom of this size was recorded in 1950, with archival data indicating the one before that occurred in the turn of the 20th century.

The remarkable abundance of octopuses meant they could be easily spotted in shallow waters for the first time in recent history. Underwater recordings show octopuses being sociable – unlike their typical solitary behavior – and moving along the bottom on their tentacle tips. One individual was even recorded reaching for submarine recording equipment.

“The first time I dived in that area this year I saw multiple octopuses,” they noted. “And these are big. We have two species in the region. One species is rather small, football-sized, but these newcomers can be up to a metre and a half wide.”

Future Prospects and Other Surprises

Another mild winter going into 2026 suggests the potential a repeat event the following year, because based on records, in similar situations, events have occurred consecutively for two consecutive years.

“However, it is unlikely, from previous blooms, that it will persist indefinitely,” they cautioned. “The ocean is full of surprises currently so it’s hard to forecast.”

The annual review also noted further encouraging coastal sightings along the coast, including:

• Unprecedented numbers of grey seals seen in Cumbria.
• Exceptional populations of the iconic seabirds on Skomer.
• A first-ever sighting of the *Capellinia fustifera* nudibranch in a northern county, normally residing farther south.
• A type of blenny spotted off the coast of Sussex for the inaugural time.

Not All Positive News

The year had its low points, however. “The calendar year was marked by ecological challenges,” noted a conservation leader. “A significant shipping incident in the North Sea and an accidental discharge of tonnes of plastic biobeads off the southern coast were serious issues. Dedicated individuals are putting in immense work to defend and heal our marine habitats.”