When filmmaker and diver David Palfrey dropped into the waters off Cornwall, he expected a typical week of leisurely diving. Instead, as he sank beneath the waves, he found himself face-to-face with an underwater enigma: octopus after octopus, out in the open water, watching him right back.
Those unexpected encounters with this most enigmatic of sea creatures became the creative spark for Bloomin’ Octopus! A Tentacular Spectacular, a new short film exploring the ‘octopus bloom’ off the southwest coast of England in 2025. “Dive after dive there were octopus out and about, and what struck me was how curious they can be. They’re often shy, but sometimes they’ll interact, investigate, and seem to watch you as much as you watch them. Afterwards there was this buzz everywhere – people asking why this was happening, whether it was a population boom, what it meant for crabs and lobsters…I couldn’t stop thinking; there’s a story here.”
With divers and fishermen now reporting increased numbers of octopus appearing again in 2026, the film comes at a pivotal moment. As the story of the Common Octopus (Octopus Vulgaris, usually seen in Mediterranean waters), continues to unfold, these out-of-the-blue interactions in fact raise urgent questions about warming seas, changing marine ecosystems, and what these shifts mean for coastal communities and the future health of the ocean.
“I’ve wanted to make an alternative kind of science communication film for a while: something with pace and personality, that might reach people who wouldn’t normally click on a lecture or a report,” said David. Luckily for him, his timing was perfect. Palfrey’s personal footage and curiosity met hard evidence when he discovered the Marine Biological Association’s report documenting the scale, causes and consequences of the 2025 bloom. He contacted the report’s lead author, MBA Senior Research Fellow Dr Bryce Stewart, and asked if they could work together to build the story around the data. As a prolific science communicator himself, Bryce was more than happy to help.
Blending documentary footage with stylised visual sequences, Bloomin’ Octopus! A Tentacular Spectacular balances humour and energy with community-led observations to create a story of interconnected experiences.
From fishermen and fish market sellers to divers, snorkellers and restaurateurs, the film weaves these stories together and rather than offering a neat conclusion, it invites audiences to consider the uncertainty of ecological change, happening in real time.
L-R: David filming with Bryce in the MBA’s Research Aquarium (c. David Palfrey); David filming underwater (c. Lewis Jeffries) ; Fishermen featured in the film on board their vessel loaded with lobster pots (c. David Palfrey).
He was keen for the story of the octopus bloom to reach a wider audience, while educating people about what this means for our the health of our ocean.
“The octopus bloom is an extraordinary event that tells us a lot about how marine life is responding to a warming ocean,” says Bryce. “When David approached me with the idea of the film, I was impressed with his energy, creativity and ideas, but more than anything, his desire to work with me and the MBA to create a uniquely engaging film grounded in science.”
The return of higher octopus numbers in 2026 keeps the spotlight on a fast-changing ocean. Scientists are continuing to investigate what’s driving the bloom and what it means for shellfish stocks, wider food webs and the resilience of coastal livelihoods. The film is a starting point for that conversation, bringing viewers into the story at the moment it’s still unfolding.
“My hope is that the film entertains first, because that’s how you reach all sorts of people,” says David. “If it makes you laugh, or gets you leaning in, maybe it also gets you thinking about changing seas and the ripple effects on wildlife and coastal communities. And if you’re lucky enough to meet an octopus in UK waters, I hope you come away with the same feeling I did; wonder… and a few new questions.”
Watch: Bloomin’ Octopus – A Tentacular Spectacular
Director: David Palfrey | https://www.davidpalfrey.com/
Title screen from the film. c. David Palfrey
