Oceans: Life Under Water

7 | Octopuses

They're like aliens from another planet. There are over 300 species and counting, from the size of your fingernail to 10 metres across. They live on the ocean's surface, and in its darkest depths. But how intelligent are they, really? How do they use tools? And what's it like to meet one in the wild? Eminent marine biologist and science communicator Helen Scales joins Hannah in the studio.

Also - meet Gretchen Früh-Green, one of the scientists who discovered the Lost City, which some believe could be the origin of all life on Earth.

Follow us on IG, X and TikTok for bonus content and to see footage of the world's biggest octopus nursery: @oceanspod.

Watch the coconut-carrying octopus here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RUN6c5yWJhQ

If you want to know more about the oceans and how to protect them, come and join us here: https://act.gp/life-under-water.

What does it sound like at the bottom of the ocean? How does it feel to swim with a humpback whale and her calf? What does an octopus' tentacle feel like when it wraps itself around you? Come and find out in this 12-part series.

Wildlife filmmaker, zoologist and broadcaster Hannah Stitfall wants to take you to the world beneath the waves. Over 12 episodes, she'll be meeting freedivers, submarine pilots, whale experts, ship captains, marine biologists, and more, hearing the most mind-boggling stories about the oceans and the astonishing creatures that call them home. The hypnotic sound design and immersive storytelling will take you right there - from the Lost City to Galapagos, from the Mariana Trench to the Antarctic.

Brought to you by Crowd Network and Greenpeace UK, which helps us tell these stories beautifully and responsibly.

Producer: Anna Staufenberg.
Executive producer: Steve Jones.
Mixing and sound design: Anna Staufenberg.
Archive courtesy of Greenpeace.