Giant Pacific Octopus

Photo: Carita Bergman · CC BY-NC-ND

Browning Pass hosts the world's largest concentration of giant Pacific octopus, the biggest octopus species on Earth with individuals regularly exceeding 15 kg and arm spans of 3 metres or more. They are highly intelligent and curious, and experienced local guides know the locations of specific resident animals that have become habituated to divers over many years. Octopuses are keystone predators in this ecosystem, controlling populations of crabs, clams, and fish in a manner that shapes the entire invertebrate community of the pass.