Devil Fish!

Came across this, wild story!

FROM THE SF CHRONICLE of November 5th, 1937:

“A Fort Bragg grandmother today recounted a thrilling story of her fight against a giant octopus and how she and two other women finally beat the monster to death before it could drag her beneath the waves of the Mendocino Coast. Mrs. H.C. Graves was gathering abalones. She felt something brush against her leg, and thinking it was a bit of seaweed, tried to kick free.

She was unsuccessful. Glancing down, she was horrified to see a monster devil fish sweeping its tentacles toward her. One long arm reached up and grabbed her left wrist. Another came up and swept around her body. Struggling frantically, Mrs. Graves kept her right arm free. Screaming for help, fighting to keep from being dragged down, she clubbed the octopus with her heavy abalone iron [a crowbar-like device used to pry abs from their rocks]

Her companions rushed to the beach to her aid and joined in beating the big devil fish until it was killed. The fish, when dragged ashore, measured 10 feet 5 inches from the tip of its longest tentacle to the opposite tip. There were seven of those mighty arms, and the octopus was one of the largest ever taken on the Mendocino Coast. Nearby were two smaller devil fish that slithered off as the women battled the big one.”

Been awhile since you got Abb on the beach up there ?right?

Thanks for sharing this, I hope it doesn't enter my dreams at night 

I encountered a few 'devil fish' in my abalone diving and rockpicking days.  It never occurred to me that I may have been vulnerable to becoming dinner!

Cool story, but no picture?...   

This also brings to mind that relatively large octo that Jedmo hooked at GS3.  Arial helped him subdue it, and it was consumed at camp.  That one may have had like a 5 to 6 foot arm span.  It was impressive, but over 10 feet across - yikes!

FROM THE SF CHRONICLE of November 5th, 1937:

Crazy, I found a picture on ebay for the story 

During WWII my father was in the Navy in the South Pacific.  Because he and a few of his shipmates volunteered for extra duty they were allowed a few hours ashore on a small atoll.  While wading among the coral in waist deep water he reached down and picked up a small octopus which attached itself to his arm.  About that time he said a huge octopus rose up out of the water a few yards away. He figured it was mama coming for her kid.  He said it was like something like you might see in a horror movie.  He was finally able to detatch the small guy from his arm and said he never swam so fast before in his life.