After visiting the Ray Lagoon and Rockpool exhibits, guests at the SEA LIFE Minnesota Aquarium will come across one of our most intelligent sea creatures - the Giant Pacific Octopus! They are smart enough to solve simple problems, like finding their way through mazes and unscrewing jar lids to get to the food inside. They also have a very creative defense mechanism - if a Giant Pacific Octopus feels threatened, it will release a cloud of black ink to obscure the attacker's view and sense of smell, giving the octopus time to escape.
These sea creatures have some very cool anatomical features, such as three hearts and blue blood! While shrimp, clams and small fish are usually a Giant Pacific Octopus's favorite food, they have been known to attack sharks, and even birds, with their sharp, beaklike mouths that they used to puncture and tear flesh.
In the wild, a Giant Pacific Octopus will usually only live for three to five years, but during that time they can grow to be about 16 feet across and weigh 110 pounds!
