Lessons From Fishermen and Octopuses

By invited guest blogger Silvana Ivandic-Määttä for “To the Oceans Project Goes Balkan”- series

As a little child growing up at Croatian coast, Dubrovnik region, I spent time together with the other children while listening to the stories of fishermen and sailors.

They were our source of knowledge door openers to new places and distant marine horizons. 

They had senses with the coastal nature: just by licking their pointer finger and holding it straight up in the air they would know the way wind will blow and what kind of weather we would soon have. 

We heard exciting stories about sea life near Africa, Oceania, America, Far East and Arctic areas. Without even knowing what cultural awareness even meant, we learned about different cultures in this interesting way of listening. These sea heroes told us about other languages and customs. So exciting for children to hear this!

Sometimes stories made us scared and we might even have nightmares after hearing about sea storms or accidents. Spooky feelings would rise especially when hearing of the strange deep water creatures they had seen. In a child’s mind those ‘monsters’ became even bigger, than the story contained.

We were not an internet generation yet in those days. Our passion to learn about distant places started and expressed itself through these conversations and by listening to their stories. 

With their help and encouragement we learned basics of fishing. How to catch fish – and how to handle and clean our catch. Skills to recognize different marine species improved and we learned to love, appreciate and respect nature. 

The fishermen also shared some simple and delicious recipies with us. I still use some of their advice while preparing fish meals even today. These people were our ”google” concerning sea and distant places.

With our games and children’s plays in the sea or by the sea gave us imaginery characters of pirates, deep sea explorers, fearless sailors and we would challenge (the ones who could swim) to swim faster or dive deeper with just a one breath. We were wild, free and happy.

I have to say, I am very proud of having such a childhood. 

But now to my story…

On a one particular afternoon, as I was standing on the pier waiting for my friends I was talking to an old fisherman. I wanted to see his ‘catch’ and hear his stories about the sea and all those sea creatures from the deep he caught.

With fishing, he would support his whole family of seven and his wife was selling fish at the local market. 

To be able to provide fresh fish, he would spent nights and nights at the open sea. No matter what be the weather. It was hard and a very risky job to do, but for him as an old ‘sea wolf’, that was his way of living. 

He told me once, that each time he returns to the shore, he is thanking Mother Nature for her kindness and generosity. Old fisherman had an expression:’ Fali more, drz se kraja’ (in Croatian). It meant ‘Praise the see but stay closer to the shore’.

Words I remember forever.

That particular day his fishnets were full of all kinds of fish, and a few big octopuses. 

I was listening stories about octopuses, how they can grow to an enormous size, how some fishermen went missing during the night at the open sea, being pulled away from the boat by the gigantic octopus. Whether those stories were a myth or not, it was for sure something fishermen had back in their minds for centuries every time sailing out to the open seas. So did their families.

I both feared and admired these interesting and strange looking sea creatures.

People were hunting much smaller species of octopuses closer to the shore, as they were considered  delicacy in the local cousine.

One day, I decided to test my luck and try hunting one myself. I was so sure that after hearing all those stories, I knew how to catch an octopus.

And boy, was I sooo wrong!

In some of the fisherman conversations, I overheard one man saying to another one about hunting octopuses ‘ Don’t worry.. it will catch you, before you know it’ !.

I also heard, I should have a stick and a peace of white cotton cloth (rag) sheet attached to it, as octopuses are attracted to a white colour. If you do not want to attract one while diving, do not use white!

So, I put on my diving mask, took a deep breath and started diving around underwater rocks  exploring the holes within. After couple of dives while using my stick, I managed to spot one. It looked small and easy catch.

But suddenly, as I was touching it with my stick, it grabbed my arm with one of it’s eight arms pulling me towards it. Then with another one and another one.. Soon it was all around my arm reaching for my neck!

I tried not to panic and somehow managed to come to the surface with octopus wrapped around my arm. I went to the shore seeking help from my friends to get it off.

The grip was so tight that it was almost impossible to take it off. I had marks for days.

As we took it off, it fell on the ground and with enormous speed it started moving towards the sea. It looked beautiful, scary and cute in some way going back to its  environment, I dared to disturb!

Octopus precision and orientation to find water was astonishing, even though we were quite far away from the sea.

That evening ,I was thinking about my hunting experience with an octopus. I was sure while under the water, I would be a hunter and octopus to be my pray. Oh, how wrong again I was! 

It was aware of my presence at all times, changing  appearance and colours blending into the marine environment, perfectly camouflaging in. I thought I knew what I was doing but It was just waiting for the exact moment to show me who is the master of hunting. I was taught a beautiful lesson of sea life creatures. 
Needless to say , since that time, I did quite a lot of research about octopuses 

Their numbers are decreasing worldwide, at enormous speed. And their importance in oceans is huge. Some restaurants have stopped having octopuses on their menu because they want to do their share of helping octopus population to grow again to safe levels.

(Here is information about the announcement of Croatian restaurant in Split
https://www.morski.hr/poznati-splitski-restoran-vise-ne-zeli-posluzivati-hobotnicu-a-razlog-je-vrlo-vazan/).

For sure, I will never ever eat one again, as I learned how smart and special they truly are. 

I encourage You to take Your time and find out more about this highly interesting and intelligent creature. The beauty of ocean and sea life is just amazing.

Silvana Ivandic-Määttä (Nana)