NPR Science blogger ROBERT KRULWICH published a story with the amazing title, “8-Legged Mom Has 50,000 Babies: 2-Legged Woman Watches.” This no less amazing story was about Laurynn Evans, a Junior High School principal and the video she filmed of giant Pacific octopusses hatching from eggs in Puget Sound.
Other news organizations (Seattle Times, Seattle PI, Seattle TV station Fox 13, OPB’s Ecotrope, and the Huffington Post) picked up the story,
including a very engaging radio version with Laurynn on FM station KUOW. Laurynn’s video is especially noteworthy because it shows a sight seldom seen in its natural setting. Better yet, the video doesn’t just use the octopus babies as a short punchline to a story, the viewer actually gets to hang out for minutes at a time with these tiny creatures. People seem to think that puppies are cute, but how can you argue with the cuteness factor of tiny, rounded, jet-propelled babies from inner space sporting 8 legs and 3 hearts?
Of course, Laurynn didn’t just stroll down to the beach one day and happen to catch this remarkable sight on videotape. She paid underwater visits to the octo-mom regularly over a period of many months to make sure she was there during the hatching. More of that incredible backstory can be heard in the KUOW audio.
