Octopus removes valve, floods floor of Santa Monica Pier Aquarium

A small mischievous octopus at the Santa Monica Pier Aquarium broke a valve in its tank, resulting in a flood.

The guest of honor in the aquarium's Kids' Corner octopus tank had swum to the top of the enclosure and disassembled the recycling system's valve, flooding the place with some 200 gallons of seawater.

"It had grabbed the tube that pulls out the water and caused it to spray outside the tank," said aquarium education specialist Nick Fash. Judging by the size of the flood, Fash estimated that the water flowed for about 10 hours before the first staff member, Aaron Kind, showed up for work.

Octopus floods Santa Monica Pier Aquarium (Thanks, Coop!)

Addenda:

Urshrew:

Note to octopus:

I did not mean to eat your brother. I thought that sushi was squid.

Please spare my family.

Signed,

Me

Chris Spurgeon:


That octopus is now confined to a tiny corner of his aquarium where he's passing the hours bouncing a baseball against the wall.