SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — Editor's Note: The above video is from an earlier broadcast.
OdySea Aquarium in Scottsdale shared some heartbreaking news Tuesday.
Tako, the Giant Pacific Octopus passed months after she reached her end-of-life cycle called "senescence."
The beloved sea creature has been part of the OdySea Aquarium family since September 2020.
“Tako was gentle, loving, and unique; she created special bonds with everyone who cared for her at OdySea Aquarium. The perfect ambassador for her species, Tako truly became the real ‘octopus teacher,’ inspiring people everywhere to care about octopuses. She touched many hearts, and we will feel her indelible mark for a long time to come," said Dave Peranteau, the aquarium's director of animal care
Aquarium officials said as she approached the end of her life, Tako’s motherly instincts kicked in, and she focused on nurturing her eggs.
“Once a female has laid eggs, she is going to stop eating and focus all of that attention on caring for those eggs," her trainer Paige explained in an interview with 12News in June. "She’s gonna touch those eggs, she's gonna breathe water over those eggs to keep them nice and clean and make sure they have oxygen.”
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It was the utmost care that a mother could give. She took care of those eggs until her last breath. Tako didn't know they weren't fertile, so she followed the same process as if they were.
"Through Tako, OdySea Aquarium had the amazing opportunity to expand perspectives beyond 'the norm.' By sharing her story, we have taken our visitors, social media followers, and our own team members on a collective journey, allowing us to gain essential scientific knowledge and understanding about this critical last stage of an octopus’ life through her team’s observations and by allowing Tako to dictate each step in the process," the aquarium shared on Facebook.
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