Octopuses Protected in Intertidal Zone

In the Oct. 16 article “Pool School” I was shocked and sad to see a photo of a person holding a juvenile octopus. I feel it’s important to mention that this did not occur on the guided tide pool tour in honor of Coast Month and that this type of interaction should be discouraged.

Octopuses, like fish, cannot breathe out of water. They are also protected by law in the intertidal zone of state beaches and parks. The intertidal zone is a nursery to our ocean’s great diverse marine life and it is in all of our best interests to let these plants and animals thrive to be enjoyed by future generations. It is illegal to disturb or harass octopuses in the intertidal zone of state beaches and parks.

CARA O’BRIEN

Volunteer naturalist,

Leo Carrillo State Beach

Oxnard