Britney Taryn, the mother of a 6-year-old boy whose encounter with a giant Pacific octopus at the San Antonio Aquarium went viral on TikTok, is disputing the facility’s account of what happened, calling its official statement both false and defamatory.
The video, posted on July 15 and shared nearly 13,000 times, shows Leo, Tayin’s son, interacting with the aquarium’s massive octopus before it latched onto his arm and refused to let go.
According to the aquarium, the incident was due to Taryn ignoring warnings and leaning her child over the exhibit barrier. Seeing someone other than staff intruding on his habitat, the octopus displayed “typical curious behavior.”
The establishment went on to say that medical assistance was offered but ultimately declined by the mother, who signed an incident report.
Taryn said none of that is true.
Mother of 6YO boy bruised by octopus denied aquarium’s claims of irresponsibility, criticizing the establishment’s safety measures
Image credits: Serena Repice Lentini / Unsplash (not the actual photo)
“Contrary to the aquarium’s claims, no medical attention was offered for my son, and I was not asked to sign an incident report,” the mother told local media yesterday (August 4).
“Several other adults were with me at the time and can attest to this.”
Image credits: britneytaryn / TikTok
Taryn called the aquarium’s response not only false, but defamatory. She said it was a deliberate attempt to divert attention from more serious safety concerns present at the facility.
“Typically, contact with the octopus in that exhibit would only be possible by lifting a child over the glass, something we have done in the past under direct staff instruction,” she wrote.
“This tank is never staffed, and the public is often left to interact with the animals unsupervised. The only signage provides instructions for a feeding encounter.”
Image credits: britneytaryn / TikTok
The mother said that, at the time of the incident, the octopus was already near the glass, allowing his son to reach it without her assistance. She said that the interaction surprised her, as she had never seen an octopus act that way before.
Image credits: britneytaryn / TikTok
Taryn went on to claim that she has since reached out to “multiple experts,” who allegedly told her that the octopus in question was suffering from a mental decline known as “senescence,” which occurs near the end of the animal’s life.
“Neither the tank setup nor the nature of public interaction aligns with the Association of Zoos & Aquariums (AZA)’s standards for Giant Pacific octopus care,” she added.
Mother and son were familiar with the octopus, but were taken aback by how large it had become in recent years
Image credits: KSATnews / YouTube
Taryn and Leo were very familiar with said octopus, and had visited it for three years without incident. After a hiatus, they returned and were surprised to find out how large it had become. According to the mother, they had to confirm with an employee that it was indeed the same animal.
Due to the animal’s smaller size, Leo had grown accustomed to greeting it by letting it suction briefly to his hand before releasing. But this time the octopus strength had increased, and the encounter went from tender to scary.
Image credits: britneytaryn / TikTok
When Leo told his mother, “Mom, it’s not letting me go,” she stepped in but refused to touch the animal herself. She noticed purple spots forming on her son’s skin as the octopus began climbing its side of the tank while holding on.
Image credits: KSATnews / YouTube
As Bored Panda previously reported, an employee arrived, describing the animal as being playful. It wasn’t until he failed to free Leo’s arm that he realized the severity of the situation, and requested the help of two other staff members.
@ksatnews EXCLUSIVE: According to mom @britneytaryn ♬ original sound – KSAT12 | SATX local news
Using ice packs, they were able to loosen the octopus’ grip.
Surprisingly, Leo requested her mother to return to the aquarium hours later. Upon seeing the boy again, the octopus moved suddenly, changed color to white, and spread out against the glass.
The San Antonio Aquarium has been criticized for its open tanks, with detractors claiming that it puts both animals and humans in danger
Image credits: sanantonio_aquarium / TikTok
Speaking to local media, the AZA confirmed that the San Antonio Aquarium is neither accredited, nor regulated by them.
The establishment has long been criticized for its usage of “touch-and-feel” tanks, which caused many parents to express their concerns as far back as 2014.
@britneytaryn Replying to @Sammy Wardale thank you for everyone who tagged me in that video. I wasn’t feeling petty until now and really hoped that the staff had the best interest of the animals in mind but honestly this response has me shocked. They doubled down on the “harmlessness” of this and I’m concerned now more than ever. #aquarium #octopus #octopusbehavior #aquariumstory ♬ original sound – Britney Taryn
Beyond accidents such as Leo’s, the open tanks have also endangered the animals. For instance, in July 2018, surveillance cameras captured three people stealing a horn shark from an open pool where visitors were allowed to reach in and pet various species.
The suspects disguised the animal as a baby and placed it in a stroller. Fortunately, the shark was found and returned to the aquarium two days later.
Image credits: britneytaryn / TikTok
Following the incident, a petition was launched requesting the aquarium to shut down its touch pools, but the establishment refused.
That same year, it was temporarily closed by the City of Leon Valley after “multiple safety hazards” were found. These included unsecured propane tanks and hazardous electrical wiring.
Image credits: britneytaryn / TikTok
In a statement, Jon Spellman, general manager of the San Antonio Aquarium, lamented that he would have to cancel lucrative events he had planned for that weekend.
“It was really disappointing having to cancel all the birthday parties and all the groups that we had planned on coming out,” Spellman said. “That’s never something that we like doing.”
The aquarium would be shut down again in 2020 for violating an emergency declaration linked to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Why was there no staff?” Netizens criticized the aquarium’s open tanks and safety standards
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