Storms Brian and Ophelia blamed for rare beach invasion by octopus

 An exceedingly rare octopus invasion of a Welsh beach may have been caused by recent storms that battered the Irish Sea, experts believe.

More than 20 of the solitary creatures were spotted crawling out of the water in New Quay, Ceredigion, and hauling themselves up the beach on three consecutive nights, baffling locals, who said they had never witnessed such a phenomenon.

The curled octopuses, a common species in British waters, are very secretive creatures and usually found at depths of up to 300ft.

James Wright, curator at the National Marine Aquarium in Plymouth, said he had heard one or two other accounts last week of some being found in the intertidal zone – the area tides come in and out – along the North Devon and the Welsh coasts.

“Them even being found in the intertidal is not common and suggests there is something wrong with them I am afraid,” he told The Daily Telegraph.

“As the areas where they are exhibiting this odd behaviour coincides with the two areas hit by the two recent low pressures depressions and associated storms of Brian and Ophelia, it could be supposed that these have affected them. It could simply be injuries sustained by the rough weather itself or there could be a sensitivity to a change in atmospheric pressure.”

Storm Brian, quickly followed by Storm Ophelia earlier this month, caused huge waves and storm surges as gusts of up to 80mph hit the Welsh coast.

Dr Steve Simpson, a marine biologist at the University of Bristol, said it was “extremely odd” behaviour and incredibly rare for octopuses to venture on to dry land.