OdySea Aquarium announces death of beloved Giant Pacific octopus, Tako

PHOENIX — OdySea Aquarium announced the death of its beloved Giant Pacific octopus, Tako, on Tuesday in Scottsdale.

Tako joined the aquarium in Sept. 2020 and taught thousands of people about the short and significant life cycle of the species, according to a Facebook post.

The aquarium was transparent with Tako’s life by sharing, educating and celebrating the final stage called senescence.

By sharing the steps of Tako’s life to social media, OdySea was able to gain scientific knowledge and understanding about the critical last stage of an octopus’ life through observations and allowing Tako to dictate each step, according to the post.

“Tako was gentle, loving, and unique; she created special bonds with everyone who cared for her at OdySea Aquarium,” Director of Animal Care Dave Peranteau said in the post.

“The perfect ambassador for her species, Tako truly became the real ‘octopus teacher,’ inspiring people everywhere to care about octopuses. She touched many hearts, and we will feel her indelible mark for a long time to come.”

Tako also laid thousands of eggs just months before her death.