Seattle Aquarium Cancels Octopus Date After Female Lays Eggs Early (Update)

SEATTLE, WA - A female octopus at the Seattle Aquarium has apparently swiped left.

For the second year in a row, the Seattle Aquarium had to cancel a planned octopus blind date scheduled for Valentine's Day. This year it's because the female octopus, Rapsberry, began laying eggs early on Monday morning.

Last February, the aquarium had to cancel a planned Valentine's Day date between two octopus because the male was too big - so big that the aquarium was concerned he would eat his female partner. The male, Kong, weighed 70 pounds, while the females were in the 30 to 40 pound range.

The aquarium had intended to live-stream the date between Raspberry and a male octopus. Instead, the aquarium will release Raspberry into Puget Sound so she can find a den to lay the rest of her eggs. The aquarium will live stream the release at noon on its Facebook page.

Here's a video the aquarium released on Monday before the blind date was cancelled:

The Valentine's Day octopus blind date was part of the aquarium's Octopus Week. Aside from the blind date (and now release) the aquarium will live-stream the release of an octopus into Puget Sound on Feb. 18. This weekend, you can watch aquarium divers swim with octopus.

Image via Seattle Aquarium