2025 Proclaimed The Year for Octopuses Along England's Southern Shores.

Record-breaking observations of a remarkably clever cephalopod over the summer months have prompted the designation of 2025 as “the year of the octopus” in a yearly report of Britain’s seas.

A Perfect Storm Leading to an Explosion

A gentle winter coupled with a very warm springtime triggered unprecedented numbers of *Octopus vulgaris* to take up residence along England’s south coast, across the southwestern peninsula.

“The reported landings was approximately 13 times what we would usually anticipate in this region,” stated an ocean conservation expert. “When we added up the numbers, around 233 thousand octopuses were caught in these waters this year – that’s a huge increase from historical averages.”

*Octopus vulgaris* is native to British seas but typically so rare it is seldom observed. A sudden increase is attributed to the dual effect of gentle winter conditions and favorable spring temperatures. Such favorable circumstances meant increased juvenile survival, possibly in part fuelled by significant populations of spider crabs noted in recent years.

A Historic Event

The last time, such an octopus proliferation comparable was documented in 1950, with historical records indicating the last bloom prior to that happened in 1900.

The huge numbers of octopuses meant they could be readily observed in nearshore environments for a rare occurrence. Video footage show octopuses gathering in groups – unlike their typical solitary behavior – and “walking” along the ocean floor on their tentacle tips. One individual was even filmed grabbing submarine recording equipment.

“On my initial dive off the Lizard peninsula this year I saw multiple octopuses,” they noted. “They are large specimens. Two kinds exist in UK waters. One species is smaller, the size of a ball, but these common octopuses can be reaching impressive sizes.”

Looking Ahead & Coastal Highlights

A second gentle winter going into 2026 meant it was possible a repeat event next year, because in the past, in similar situations, events have occurred consecutively for two consecutive years.

“But, it's improbable, looking at history, that it will persist indefinitely,” they stated. “The ocean is full of surprises at the moment so it’s quite an unpredictable situation.”

The assessment also celebrated other “surprises, successes and joyful moments” across British shores, including:

• Highest-ever counts of grey seals seen in one northern region.
• Peak numbers of the iconic seabirds on Skomer.
• The first recording of the *Capellinia fustifera* nudibranch in a northern county, normally residing farther south.
• A variable blenny found off the coast of a southern county for the inaugural time.

Not All Positive News

Challenges were also present, however. “The year was bookended by marine incidents,” noted a conservation leader. “A significant shipping incident in March and an accidental discharge of tonnes of plastic biobeads off the southern coast highlighted ongoing threats. Dedicated individuals are putting in immense work to protect and restore our shorelines.”