The annual octopus mating event is open to the public and was set to take place at noon on Sunday.

But aquarium workers couldn't find an appropriate mate for Kong, a 70-pound octopus. They canceled the "blind date" event because they feared that he would eat any female octopus with whom they could potentially pair him. All the female octopuses whom they had considered weighed 30 to 40 pounds -- half Kong's weight.

Instead, divers swam with the giant "bachelor" octopus while visitors watched.

About the Author

Keep Reading

Ernie Suggs, a reporter at the AJC since 1997, reviews a selection of articles he has contributed to during his time with The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, as of Wednesday, Nov. 5, 2025. (Miguel Martinez/AJC)

Credit: Miguel Martinez-Jimenez

Featured

U.S. Rep. Mike Collins' Senate campaign used Sen. Jon Ossoff's Senate portrait (center) to create an AI-generated video of Ossoff talking about his vote not to end the government shutdown.  The video was reposted to Collins' campaign account on X (left). (Screenshot)

Credit: Screenshot