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Expedition 🇬🇧 United Kingdom

Octopus in United Kingdom

Eight arms, three hearts, one brilliant mind — the most intelligent invertebrate in the sea.

Octopus

The species

The common octopus is a master of disguise and problem-solving: it can change colour and texture in milliseconds, squeeze through gaps the size of its eye, and open jars to reach food in laboratory tests. Blue copper-based blood pumps through three hearts as it prowls rocky reefs and tide pools.

Habitat in United Kingdom

Rocky coastlines, reefs, and tide pools in temperate and tropical seas worldwide hold common octopuses. They den in crevices by day and hunt crabs, molluscs, and fish by night across the Mediterranean, Atlantic, and Indo-Pacific.

Where to spot one

  • Richmond Park

    London

    Ancient parkland where red deer graze at dawn, mallards paddle the ponds, and foxes slip through bracken at the woodland edge.

    View on map →Official site →

  • The New Forest

    Hampshire

    Open heath and oak woodland where foxes, deer, ponies, and woodland birds share a landscape that feels surprisingly wild for southern England.

    View on map →Official site →

  • Hyde Park & Regent's Park

    London

    Urban park lakes for mallards, tree lines full of sparrows, and pigeons along the Serpentine — starter discoveries in the heart of the city.

    View on map →Official site →

  • Cotswolds Farmland

    Gloucestershire & Oxfordshire

    Hedgerows, pasture, and village edges — classic fox country where russet coats show clearly against green fields at last light.

Conservation status

LC — Least Concern

Common octopuses are Least Concern but heavily fished in the Mediterranean and Atlantic. They remain abundant in many coastal areas and are popular in rock-pool exploration.

Keep exploring

Keep exploring

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Log the Octopus in United Kingdom

Spot one in the wild — scan it in Catch'Um to log your common discovery.