Octopus numbers on south coast increase massively in 2025

The species of octopus people had been spotting were octopus vulgaris, a Mediterranean species native to the UK.

However they’re rarely seen, as their numbers are usually so low.

The Wildlife Trust recorded a whopping 1500% increase in sightings from Penzance to South Devon this year.

Matt Slater, a marine conservation officer at Cornwall Wildlife Trust told the Guardian newspaper: “When we added up the numbers, approximately 233,000 octopuses were caught in UK waters this year – that’s a huge increase from what you would normally expect.”