salish scenes: blake island suprise
Sketches from the land and sea
Words & pictures by Mary Jo Davis
Blake Island is home to so many wild animals that we are lucky to see at our state parks, but one sighting stands out above them all. I don’t remember which one of us found her first, but soon we were all gathered around, bending down, getting close. We couldn’t believe our eyes. What was this deep-sea creature doing high up on shore at low tide? From the top of her head to the bottom of her arm was about two feet. So not a giant sized specimen, but surely this was a giant Pacific octopus. I started to get concerned as it was a warm spring day and the western shore was in full afternoon sun. Had she gotten stuck there when the tide went out? We were so curious about her and I wanted to pick her up, but of course we just observed. Her body was up on a rock while her arms moved around with mercurial ease, furling and unfurling with fluid articulation. How would she get back to the sea? We’ll never know how or why she got out of the water, but we will never forget the day we saw a wild octopus.
Mary Jo Davis is an artist who fills her sketchbook with hand-painted watercolors inspired by time spent outdoors. Instagram: @maryjokovarikdavis