Paul is dead.

Famous Octopus Dies, Donates to a Sea Turtle Rescue Center

Paul, an octopus at the Sea Life aquarium in Germany, correctly predicted the winner of all seven games of the World Cup. He made his predictions by opening one of two clear plastic boxes, each bearing a team flag and containing a mussel. His predictions attracted worldwide attention, and he was subsequently paid to support England’s 2018 World Cup bid. Paul also received hundreds of requests to go to Spain, but his agent turned them all down.

Paul died in his tank Tuesday morning of natural causes at the octopus old age of 2 ½ years. The aquarium hasn’t decided how to commemorate Paul yet, but they may give him a burial plot and modest shrine on the aquarium grounds. “Paul’s name will live on the Greek island of Zakynthos, where a permanent sea turtle rescue center funded in part by donations generated by the famous octopus is being established.”

SO farewell then, Paul. The world's most famous octopus, the underwater Nostradamus, the eight-armed cephalopod prophet of the football pitch, has died in his German aquarium.

The good news, though, is that foul play is not suspected.

Death threats had rained down on the Weymouth-born mollusc as he consistently predicted the outcome of the World Cup matches this summer.

By correctly tipping Serbia to beat Germany, Germany to beat England, Spain to beat Germany in the semi-final and Spain to beat Holland in the final, he succeeded in making enemies in England, Germany and Holland.

For many fans, especially in Argentina, correctly predicted to lose against the Germans, it was a case of wanting to grill the messenger bearing bad news.

The internet was hot with octopus recipes - sliced, fried with garlic and wine was a favourite - and security around his tank in the Oberhausen Sea Life Centre was doubled.


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Iran pronounced him decadent; President Ahmadinejad said that the mollusc was spreading Western propaganda, and there were rumours of an octo-fatwa.

Kazakhstan betting syndicates, furious that they had been out-guessed by an octopus, or indeed anyone born in Weymouth, swore revenge.

The Spanish Government offered Paul a safe haven.

Yet he appears to have died a natural death. He had been sluggish for weeks and, while an octopus always has problems getting out of bed, it was clear that he was on his last legs.

"We found Paul dead at the bottom of his tank," said a spokeswoman, Tanja Munzig.

"Over the last few days he had not been so active and had eaten little. We are all very sad." Paul was two years and ten months old; the normal lifespan is about three years.....