Smithsonian magazine's 22nd Annual Photo Contest | Made possible through the support of MPB.com

20th Annual Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest Travel
Octopus Mother

A mother Caribbean Reef Octopus carefully watching over her eggs. Like all other species of octopus, this mother does not eat while she tends to her eggs, and she will die after they hatch. If a predator approaches her lair, she will attack it to protect her young, but she will not eat it, even if she can. A sad end for a beautiful creature

Photo Detail
Date Taken: 04.2022
Date Uploaded: 10.2022
Photo Location: West Palm Beach, Florida, United States of America
Camera: NIKON D850
Copyright: © Kat Zhou