Idaho Today host Mellisa Paul had a chance to interview Dr. Alex Schnell, whose latest installment of Nat Geo's Emmy Award-winning Secrets Of… franchise, "Secrets of the Octopus," narrated by Paul Rudd, is an astounding up-close look at one of our most fascinating sea creatures. This three-part documentary series premieres on National Geographic LIVE and Disney+ this Earth Day, April 22, 2024, and offers a fantastic glimpse into the lives and behaviors of octopuses.
Octopuses are having a moment after the recent Oscar-winning "My Octopus Teacher" from Craig Foster. Now comes Nat Geo's latest "Secrets Of," narrated by Paul Rudd and produced by filmmaker and explorer James Cameron.
"Secrets of the Octopus" is presented and co-produced by National Geographic Explorer Dr. Alex Schnell, a marine biologist and comparative psychologist who has spent years studying cephalopod behavior since first becoming enamored by them as a child. In past interviews, Dr. Schnell noted that during her childhood, the seaside and the ocean were her playgrounds, where she first saw an octopus.
Octopuses are amazing animals, extremely intelligent with a rich emotional life. These sentient, large-brained beings fascinate people of all ages. Award-winning author Sy Montgomery—dubbed the "octopus whisperer" based on her book "The Soul of an Octopus"—along with Warren K. Carlyle IV, the book titled "Secrets of the Octopus" was the source and inspiration for this incredible TV effort. Like the TV series, the book is divided into three parts, reflecting new discoveries about octopus camouflage, intelligence, and social lives.
Dr. Alex Schnell has dedicated her life to studying cephalopod intelligence, and her drive to tell their stories and educate people about their unique and miraculous abilities is her passion. Schnell's "Secrets of the Octopus" travels the globe to highlight the immense diversity of octopuses, with the day octopus of the Great Barrier Reef, blue-ringed, coconut and mimic octopuses in the Lembeh Strait, and the giant Pacific octopus off the Pacific Northwest coasts which are among just some of the octopuses highlighted.
The filming took over two and a half years, and more than 1,000 hours in the water were gathered, as Dr. Schnell's interaction is framed with scientific introspection and engaging voiceover and background to share the admirable qualities of these cephalopods and their behaviors that intrigue so many people. She captures the heart and soul of the octopus, one of a few animals on earth who instinctively know how to use objects as tools, defending their spaces.
"Secrets of the Octopus" shows how these animals are great problem solvers blessed with a fantastic memory and sense of planning and defense mechanisms that are quite something to see on film. Paul Rudd's narration is humor-tinged and engaging, and the entire family can watch this series together, making it a perfect Idaho Today TV recommendation.
Courtesy of Nat Geo Channel:
Eight facts about octopuses and their cephalopod relatives
1. The majority of species form no affiliation with partners or siblings.
2. Cephalopods have no parental care—most octopus mothers die soon after their eggs hatch.
3. Cephalopods change their colors, patterns, and textures, yet their eyes cannot detect color.
4. Cephalopods are sentient.
5. Cuttlefish understand delayed gratification.
6. Some octopuses engage in courtship dances.
7. Two-thirds of octopuses' brain cells are in their arms.
8. Some octopuses team up with fish to hunt.
Tune in: Secrets of the Octopus is premiering this Earth Day, April 22, on National Geographic LIVE and Disney+