New role for toilet as a reproductive cistern

This fascinating image of a pale octopus that has taken up residence in an old toilet in Port Phillip has seen Sam Glenn- Smith shortlisted in the 2022 Australian Geographic Nature Photographer of the Year Awards. Titled Octo-Loo, the Mornington Peninsula photographer’s entry is a finalist in the awards’ Our Impact category.

“The story behind this image is one of animal resilience as well as the positive impact and change we can have as humans,” said Sam, who works for The Scuba Doctor in Rye in administration and as a dive guide. “Pale octopus (Octopus pallidus) are ingenious at upcycling and finding rubble, trash or debris to make dens – both for safety and for laying eggs. It was no surprise that this particular octopus, as well as several others, were the first inhabitants of an artificial reef made of old toilet cisterns set up by a unanimous diver.

“While the overall aesthetic of this reef leaves a lot to be desired, its practicality for octopus is extremely evident. Over this particular summer, no fewer than eight individual pale octopus made their homes within different parts of three toilets, and all laid eggs within their safe ceramic confines. This photo not only tells the story of their ingenuity and resilience, but of how not everything dumped into the ocean is causing its destruction.”

Some of Sam’s stunning images were featured in the Mornington Peninsula Magazine article ‘Dive into the fascinating world of the underwater photographer’ in August last year. Sam places a major emphasis on creating meaningful and compelling images to create wonder and astonishment for his viewers, as well as a sense of curiosity and connection to the underwater world. This is particularly true for his Peninsula viewer base, where he uses his photography to showcase the incredible biodiversity within the bay.

Sam has also developed a more conscientious and less impactful approach to how he photographs these wonderful creatures, and believes that if you want to convince everyone to protect our underwater world, you have to lead by example. Sam’s attitude is that if taking a photo of a subject isn’t going to be emotive, meaningful or visually spectacular, there isn’t any point in taking the photo – it is better to be in the moment and enjoy your time with the subject. This was certainly the case when Sam shot Octo-Loo. While we often hear about the tremendous impact humans are having on the ocean through the dumping of waste and plastics, it is very rare to see a positive story resulting from those same actions. Sam identified and seized the opportunity to do just that with this image.

Award winners will be announced at the South Australian Museum on Thursday, August 25.