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  • Published: 25 June 2024
  • ISBN: 9781426223723
  • Imprint: National Geographic
  • Format: Hardback
  • Pages: 192
  • RRP: $54.99

Secrets of the Octopus




Take an illuminating journey into the life of the octopus, one of nature’s most intelligent and complex animals.

Learn from an international bestselling author, the world's brightest octopus researchers,  and vivid National Geographic photography to come closer than ever to these elusive creatures.

Take an illuminating journey into the life of the octopus, one of nature’s most intelligent and complex animals.

Learn from an international bestselling author, the world's brightest octopus researchers,  and vivid National Geographic photography to come closer than ever to these elusive creatures.

The companion to the highly-anticipated National Geographic Disney+ special Secrets of the Octopus, narrated by Paul Rudd, this beautifully illustrated book explores the underwater world of the octopus—a creature that resembles an alien lifeform, but whose behavior has earned it a reputation as one of the most intelligent animals on the planet.  

This journey into the world of the octopus will reveal how the large and capable brain of these creatures occupies their whole body–not just their heads—and they can actually adjust their genetic makeup to respond to the demands of the environment. It will allow readers to watch them change shape and color in order to camouflage themselves more effectively than any other species. And it will divulge how octopus mothers give their all in order to bring forth a new generation.  

With this offering, acclaimed author Sy Montgomery—known, thanks to her bestselling book, as the “octopus whisperer”—returns to the species she knows and loves, offering current and compassionate stories about the scientists on the front lines of octopus research and conservation. 

For all animal lovers—and especially those drawn to this magical marine being—this will be a book to relish, for both its fascinating imagery and its charming storytelling.

  • Published: 25 June 2024
  • ISBN: 9781426223723
  • Imprint: National Geographic
  • Format: Hardback
  • Pages: 192
  • RRP: $54.99

About the author

Sy Montgomery

The author of 31 books for adults and children, topped by the best-selling Soul of an Octopus, Sy Montgomery specializes in animals and conservation. Her titles have earned numerous awards and accolades; Soul of an Octopus was a National Book Award finalist. She holds three honorary doctorates and is often featured in TV and podcast interviews. Her most recent book is Travels in Turtle Time. Now she returns to her special love: the octopus. Montgomery lives in Hancock, New Hampshire.

Praise for Secrets of the Octopus

"The stories and science in this book are fascinating. They show us how the octopus is like an alien intelligence that experiences its environment through touch, with amazing abilities to change colors, use tools, and slip through small spaces." —Temple Grandin, author of Visual Thinking


"This is a gorgeous book—not only as a visual treat but as an emotional treasure. Montgomery writes with brilliance, humor, and a rich empathy that makes the reader look at the world of sea creatures in an entirely new way. It's a marvel." —Susan Orlean, author of On Animals and The Orchid Thief


"Secrets of the Octopus is a wonderfully engaging deep dive into a subject Sy Montgomery knows intimately: that eight-armed intelligence force a.k.a. the octopuses. A mollusk who can recognize individual humans certainly deserves our attention and respect. And so does this terrific book." —Carl Safina, author of Alfie and Me: What Owls Know and Humans Believe

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