The Last Days of Ghost the Giant Octopus

Earlier this month, the Aquarium of the Pacific announced that its giant Pacific octopus named Ghost had laid a clutch of eggs, but that her days were numbered.  She had entered the last stage of her life cycle, senescence, when a female lays eggs that won’t hatch.

Ghost came from the waters of British Columbia and arrived at the Long Beach, California aquarium in May 2024. She is estimated to be between two and four years old, in the range of the average giant’s lifespan. She’s about 15 feet long and weighs approximately 50 pounds.

“She is a wonderful octopus and has made an eight-armed impression on all of our hearts,” the aquarium posted on Instagram. She’s been moved “behind the scenes” for the remainder of her life, which she will spend caring for the unfertilized eggs, neglecting her own basic needs – even eating.

In the wild the giant octopus is a solitary creature, hooking up with a mate only long enough to fertilize eggs. If there's any interaction beyond that, the animals can get aggressive with each other. Ghost has lived alone in the aquarium since her arrival, when she weighed a mere three pounds.

In her brief time in Long Beach, Ghost has attracted a large fan base, at the aquarium and on social media. Aquarium of the Pacific says it will “celebrate and honor” Ghost during her final days, and they will also cash in on her with new merchandise bearing her image.

The aquarium says that when Ghost passes, their vets will perform a necropsy to learn as much as they can about her health and to make sure they are providing the best possible care for their cephalopods (there is currently one other giant octopus in residence). Her remains will be cremated.

Photo credit: Aquarium of the Pacific