Photography

ALAN BERNER / THE SEATTLE TIMES

Mayhem, the female giant Pacific octopus at the Seattle Aquarium, turns a bright orange anticipating the arrival of Rocky, the male, when a barrier is opened in the tank Tuesday for what the aquarium called the Octopus Blind Date on Valentine's Day. She could taste his presence in the water. Mayhem's arms stretch almost twelve feet wide.

ALAN BERNER / THE SEATTLE TIMES

Catherine Clemente keeps watch on Mayhem the female giant Pacific octopus who has turned a bright color in anticipation of mating with Rocky Tuesday at the Seattle Aquarium. Here, Mayhem has jetted away from Rocky, her male suitor.

ALAN BERNER / THE SEATTLE TIMES

Mayhem, the female octopus, is about 3 years old and her arms stretch about 12 feet.She weighs about 50 pounds according to aquarium staff.

At noon on Tuesday, staff at the Seattle Aquarium removed the barrier between the male and female octopuses for an Octopus Blind Date. By Wednesday morning, they will be done mating and later this month, they will be released into Puget Sound. Overheard in the audience: "They're all huggy, huggy;" "Get a hotel room;" and Katie Hard, an aquarium employee, said "With all those arms it's hard to tell which one belongs to whom." The giant Pacific octopuses are quite large. The male weighs about 60 pounds and the female weighs about 50 pounds. Their arms stretched tip-to-tip would be about 12 feet, according to aquarium staffers. For more photos of the blind date, please check out our photo gallery.