South Sound News

Point Defiance Zoo asks public to help name giant octopus

(Photo/Katie Cotterill) Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium. 8/10/2021 (Photo/Katie Cotterill) Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium. (Katie Cotterill/Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium)
(Katie Cotterill/Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium)

TACOMA, Wash. — A new female giant Pacific octopus has a new home in the Pacific Seas Aquarium at the Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium in Tacoma, and the zoo has invited the community to help choose a name.

Aquarists at the zoo have chosen six names, and the public can vote on their favorite.

The names are:

  • Gertie, a reference to the legend Galloping Gertie, the largest octopus in the world that lives in the underwater ruins of the Tacoma Narrows Bridge.
  • Narrows, a reference to the two bridges that connect Tacoma to Gig Harbor.
  • Ceph, short for cephalopod.
  • Octavia, the Latin origin of “eighth.”
  • Ms. 8, a reference to the eight tentacles.
  • Ophelia, a character in “Hamlet” by Shakespeare.

People can vote until midnight on Aug. 23, and results will be announced on Aug. 24.

Vote on the zoo’s website here.

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