A family visit to the San Antonio Aquarium turned disturbing when a giant Pacific octopus wrapped itself around a six-year-old boy’s arm and refused to let go. The encounter, which lasted about five minutes, left the child, Leo Taryn, with deep purple suction marks stretching from his wrist to his upper arm.
According to his mother, the incident occurred during an interactive exhibit where children are allowed to touch marine animals. She described the octopus as aggressively clinging to her son, while staff initially downplayed the seriousness. Three employees eventually managed to detach the octopus using ice packs.
The aquarium later referred to the markings as “octopus kisses,” a term the family found dismissive. The mother raised concerns about the safety of allowing such interactions and said she received no follow-up after reporting the incident.
She has since filed a formal complaint with federal authorities and posted a video of the event online, where it has drawn widespread attention. The family is now calling for the removal of the octopus from public access and demanding clearer safety protocols for similar attractions.