In the late 1950’s and early 60’s, the Giant Pacific Octopuses that live in Puget Sound became television stars as World Champion Octopus Wrestling took the stage. All eyes, literal and electronic turned to the Pacific Northwest.
There was the story of a giant octopus that lived beneath the Narrows Bridge. Closer to home, Ron Frederick, now Mayor of DuPont, assisted his father, Steilacoom resident Karl Frederick in the hunt for the great octopus, and in the accompanying picture, from The Suburban Times in April 1964, the caption says that the octopus they caught weighed 50 pounds.
It took a few years for fans to realize that the great octopuses did not wish to wrestle. They wished to be left alone in their quiet holes, and Octopus wrestling gradually disappeared along with the shy octopods. Catching the Giant Pacific Octopus was banned in several locations.
To quote me, in True Tales of Puget Sound, “As people began to understand more about octopuses, attitudes changed. Thousands of people signed petitions to make the areas where octopuses were being taken into protected areas. Hood Canal, from which the wrestlers pulled record setting giant octopuses, is now the Puget Sound’s largest octopus preservation area.”
Here are the areas where octopus hunting is prohibited in case you were considering it:
- Tacoma’s Les Davis Fishing Pier
- Tacoma’s Days Island Wall
- West Seattle’s Seacrest Park Coves
- West Seattle’s Alki Beach Junk Yard
- Burien’s Three Tree Point
- Des Moines’ Redondo Beach
- Deception Pass north of Oak Harbor
And then today, Cynthia Endicott, Fircrest Yoga Instructor sent me a picture of an adorable teeny tiny octopus that, she notes, is too small to wrestle. It looks like it weighs about 6 ounces. I do hope it’s too small to eat, too. Cynthia assured me that the fisherman, who did not give his name, released the adorable baby octopus, and the era of Octopus Wrestling on Puget Sound is officially over.
Note: If you’re interested in the story of the Octopus Wrestlers of Puget Sound, you’ll find it in my book, True Tales of Puget Sound.
Dorothy Wilhelm is a humorist and writer. Hear her podcast, Swimming Upstream at www.itsnevertoolate.com/
My daughter in-law’s dad was a storied and proud champion octopus wrestler at Titlow with awards to prove it. Though he is deceased I’m sure you can follow up with his kids who are in their 50s and live in Tacoma If interested.
Thanks, Andie. Great to hear from you. I sort of think the stories of octopus wrestling are behind me now.
It was fascinating for a chapter in True Tales of Puget Sound and wonderful to meet the people who were involved. On to the next book.
Dorothy
Thank you Dorothy Wilhelm for this article. As a salmon and lingcod fisherman for many years, jigging the bottom has “rewarded” me with a few octopuses, but never kept or eaten. Intelligent creatures that change colors as their stress indicates. I’ll get my sushimi from the restaurant, thank you!
Thanks for reading. I think it’s safe to say we’ve come a pretty long way since the days when Modern Mechanix carried such cover stories as “Octopus! Terror of the Deep” and “I Battled An Octopus For Treasure. Of course, who can ever forget the vicious octopuses in 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea
so it’s a little wonderful to remember that they are graceful creatures, “almost flying through the water,” as Gary Keffler said. You’ve got to think that if humans could change colors to indicate their stress, the world would be a better place!
From the news clipping: Did wrestling octopi contribute to Ron Frederick becoming the current mayor of DuPont?
As a matter of fact it did, but Ron might like to be the one to tell it. Or at least I’d need his permission.
Thanks Dorothy. We can tell that story and others on your September 23rd Zoom show.