After vote, VIA Aquarium octopus name released (it's Kraken)

Octopus in tank — PHOTOGRAPHER: Steven Cook

Newly named Kraken on Saturday

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ROTTERDAM — “Name Our Octopus Day” went swimmingly and VIA Aquarium’s new cephalopod has now been dubbed Kraken. The name won by a tight margin, with second place “Inky” trailing by just two votes.

The event this past Saturday was held where guests were given the chance to pitch in on the decision. Prior to the event was a first round of voting on the aquarium’s social media pages.

Two hundred ninety-seven people voted at the event, Kraken earned 56 votes and Inky 54. The other finalists were Ollie, Ursula, Opal, Ocho, Oculus, and Einstein.

The event brought a crowd to VIA, succeeding in the aquarium’s mission to get eyes on Kraken.

“It was a good weekend,” General Manager Tom Lavin said. “The weather was really nice but we still had above-average attendance.”

Last month, the California two-spot octopus joined the aquarium from Woods Hole Marine Biology Laboratory in Woods Hole, Massachusetts, where it was raised until it was about six-months old.

The species lives deeper in the sea, where it’s much darker and colder. To ensure the animal’s comfort, the aquarium at Via Port Rotterdam tries to match these conditions. Kraken’s body is about 7 to 8 inches in length, with a tentacle span of around 23 inches.

The aquarium has more events to come where guests can get closer to aquatic life. For the first time ever, the aquarium will have turtles in their touch tank. This Saturday, guests will be able to touch the turtles from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., and 1:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. For a full calendar of events, visit the aquarium’s website.

Contact reporter Ameara Ditsche at [email protected]. Keep up with her on Twitter @amearaisawriter.