“Way too smart for touch tanks”: San Antonio aquarium lets visitors touch giant octopus—even after it allegedly attacked a child
While there are ongoing debates about the ethics of zoos and aquariums, most people agree on one thing: at the very least, they should be safe for both visitors and animals.
Recently, the San Antonio Aquarium in Texas has sparked controversy for one of its more unusual offerings—allowing guests to touch a Giant Pacific Octopus.
The aquarium is known for its highly interactive setup, letting visitors get close to sloths, lemurs, penguins, birds, and now, a massive octopus.
But should people really be handling one of the smartest and strongest invertebrates on the planet?
Woman says her son was attacked by this octopus
Earlier this month, TikTok creator Britney Taryn (@britneytarun) shared what happened when she and her son visited the octopus.
She explained that her son is “obsessed with marine life” and that they were regular visitors when the octopus first arrived. After a long break over the summer, they saw the aquarium now offered direct interactions with the animal and decided to go back.
But the visit quickly turned frightening.
According to Taryn, the octopus immediately turned white when it saw her son. While other guests had no issues touching the animal, she said her son had a different experience.
After a moment of interacting with it, her son allegedly said, “It’s not letting go.”
Taryn claimed the octopus began pulling itself out of the tank, wrapping more tentacles around the boy. It allegedly took three aquarium employees to free him.
@britneytaryn Replying to @Sammy Wardale thank you for everyone who tagged me in that video. I wasn’t feeling petty until now and really hoped that the staff had the best interest of the animals in mind but honestly this response has me shocked. They doubled down on the “harmlessness” of this and I’m concerned now more than ever. #aquarium #octopus #octopusbehavior #aquariumstory ♬ original sound - Britney Taryn
Now, she says, his arm is covered in suction cup bruises.
Commenters on her video raised concerns not just for the child but also for the octopus, questioning how healthy it is for a large, intelligent sea creature to be touched by dozens of strangers.
San Antonio Aquarium posts an explanation
It’s unclear if this was a direct response, but shortly after, the aquarium posted a TikTok video of one of its workers handling the octopus.
“Sometimes, all that suction motion will create hickeys,” the employee said, smiling at the camera. “She’s not trying to be harmful in any manner.”
The video attempted to normalize the octopus’s behavior, showing how staff gently removed it from their arms.
In another video, however, we can clearly see the aquarium worker struggle to get the octopus off of her. Taryn responded to this specific video, saying that it was a poor response to her concern.
Is it safe for people to touch a Giant Pacific Octopus?
Giant Pacific octopuses are the largest octopus species in the world, often weighing more than 50 pounds, with arms stretching anywhere from 7 to 13 feet.
According to the Monterey Bay Aquarium, these animals typically avoid divers in the wild. But they also warn that a bite from one can inject toxic venom, not deadly if treated, but painful and potentially dangerous. “It’s best to maintain distance and never approach a wild octopus,” the aquarium advises.
That raises the question: How safe is it to let untrained guests—especially children—handle one in captivity?
Commenters share their thoughts
Under Taryn’s original storytime video, commenters expressed shock.
“Octopuses are way too smart for touch tanks,” one person wrote. “It was probably upset he hadn’t been there in a while.”
“I’m a diver. I’m shocked they let people touch the octopus,” another said. “They are VERY strong and do not respond well to being the receivers of touch. It’s completely normal for an octopus to pull off a diver’s mask if they get too close.”
Others raised ethical concerns. “Please never bring your son there again if he’s an animal lover,” one commenter wrote. “These places are riddled with animal cruelty, and that VERY likely wasn’t even the same octopus. They never tell guests when an animal dies and is replaced.”
Another explained that octopus color changes can indicate stress: “Octopus turn white in response to threat, fear, or trauma.”
However, OctoNation says octopuses can also turn white when they are relaxed.
The debate over the interaction program continues online, with many questioning whether the experience is worth the risk.
The Daily Dot has reached out to San Antonio Aquarium for comment.
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