19th Annual Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest Natural World
Coconut Chips Octopus

We found this coconut octopus on a dive in Lembeh, Indonesia. Lembeh is known for "muck diving", and it is typical to find lots of trash on the dive sites. Coconut octopuses usually use coconut shells to hide and build "their home". This particular one only had one shell though, and instead of a second one, he used a plastic bag of chips that ended up in the ocean. Plastic pollution is one of the major threats to our oceans. This image shows the effect it has on marine life, and how it changes their lives and behavior.

Photo Detail
Date Taken: 02.2019
Date Uploaded: 11.2021
Photo Location: Lembeh, Indonesia
Copyright: © Romina Bayer