Octopus Crafts a Slippery Escape from NZ Aquarium

The daring escape began with a tight squeeze through a gap at the top of his tank. Inky, a common New Zealand Octopus at the National Aquarium of New Zealand, must have been meticulously planning his escape for some time. When all the factors were perfect, he flawlessly executed.  

First dashing 8 feet across the aquarium floor of and then shooting down a 164 foot seawater runoff pipe to Hawke's Bay, Inky has not been seen since.  This remains the most extreme breakout in aquarium history.

The National Aquarium of New Zealand is located on the east coast of the New Zealand's North Island, in a town called Napier. Staff noticed the escape when they discovered that Inky was missing, and that octopus tracks led to an escape path. 

It seems Inky is now somewhat of an international sensation. His craft and grit have made headlines around the world. Yet, Inky is clearly not interested in the publicity, because he not made any public appearances since his escape. Marine bioligists are less suprised by this behavior as there have been many cases of octopi escaping through small holes, including these escaping jars and escaping from the deck of a boat. 

New Zealand is an amazing destination for scuba diving, underwater photography and landscapes.  The North Island boasts subtropical reefs, kelp, and amazing marine protected areas such as Poor Knights Islands, while the South Island offers breathtaking topography and fjords such as Milford Sound. If you are very lucky, you can find yourself diving with Orcas.  Visibility can range from less than 10 metres/30 feet to more than 40 metres/130 feet. North Island water temperatures vary between 18-24°C/64-75°F depending on the location and season. South Island water temperatures are cooler, averaging 15-20°C/59-68°F depending on the season. 

* source: nytimes.com

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