Otto the Octopus: The Cheeky Cephalopod Behind a Blackout

At just six months old, Otto wasn’t your average aquarium resident. Living at the Sea Star Aquarium in Coburg, Germany, this clever young octopus made headlines—not for escaping his tank or performing tricks, but for causing a full-on power outage.

The mystery began with unexplained blackouts. Lights flickered, equipment failed, and the staff were baffled. After careful observation and a bit of detective work, the culprit was finally revealed: Otto. The mischief-maker had been squirting jets of water directly at a 2,000-watt spotlight above his tank. Why? Likely because the light annoyed him—and Otto, in true octopus fashion, found his own creative way to deal with it.

By dousing the electrical source, he managed to short-circuit the system repeatedly, leading to temporary outages throughout the facility. Aquarium staff were amazed, but not entirely surprised. Octopuses are famously intelligent, curious, and occasionally mischievous.

Otto’s antics serve as yet another reminder of the incredible brainpower packed into these eight-armed ocean dwellers. Whether opening jars, escaping tanks, or—apparently—engineering a blackout, octopuses continue to prove that they’re some of the most fascinating creatures in the sea.