PORT ANGELES — Thanks to overwhelming support by online voters, the new moniker for an octopus at the Feiro Marine Life Center is Ursula.
The name — inspired by the tentacled villain in Walt Disney Co.’s 1989 movie “The Little Mermaid” — beat three other names in the Peninsula Poll conducted on the Peninsula Daily News’ website Friday and Saturday.
Ursula received 493 votes, or 55.1 percent, while other suggested names Cleopatra received 176 votes, 19.7 percent; Waynonna received 127 votes, 14.2 percent; and Orleans received 99 votes, 11.1 percent.
“We were a little surprised that so many people picked Ursula, but we appreciate that folks were interested in voting,” said Melissa Williams, the center’s executive director.
Octopuses formerly kept at the center, of which there have been several, were generally named by staff or volunteers — each name starting with the letter O.
This is the first time the public has had an opportunity to vote on the name.
And the contest has brought much appreciated attention to the center, Williams added.
“Many people physically came and saw the octopus in person. Our attendance this weekend shot up versus last year. We did 284 people on Friday and Saturday. Last year, we had 91 on Friday and Saturday.
“People were just so intrigued. We were able to talk about how they eat, their unique adaptations for finding food [and] how many types of octopus live in the [Strait of Juan de Fuca].
“We really were able to use this to further our mission for marina watershed education.”
Ursula — an 18-month-old giant Pacific octopus — was caught at Freshwater Bay by Feiro volunteer Wayne Roberts, and has been living at the center on City Pier since Feb. 17 with fellow octopus Obecka, who soon will be released back into the wild ocean to mate.
Feiro holds a special permit to capture and display octopuses in the education and research facility, which requires the center to return the creature to the place where it was caught so it can breed.
It is illegal to keep a giant Pacific octopus without a permit.
Obecka — named for Becky Jewell, a longtime Feiro volunteer who died in 2013 — is nearing breeding age and will be released within about six weeks to the area where she was captured. Obecka and her predecessor, Opal, also were caught at Freshwater Bay.
Giant Pacific octopuses are the largest species anywhere, with most adults weighing in between 22 and 110 pounds with a 14- to 16-feet arm span.
Obecka and Ursula can be viewed at the center — located on City Pier at 315 N. Lincoln St. — from noon to 4 p.m. daily. Admission is free until Memorial Day, though donations are accepted.
After Memorial Day, admission is $4 for adults, $2 for children age 3-17, and children age 2 and younger are admitted free.
For more information about the center, go online to feiromarinelifecenter.org.
________
Sequim-Dungeness Valley Editor Chris McDaniel can be reached at 360-681-2390, ext. 5052, cmcdaniel@peninsuladailynews.com, or on Twitter @PDN_Editor_CMcD.
