7 Cool Coastal Critters

Life may actually be a beach for these seven cool coastal critters. But that doesn’t mean all they do is lounge around. These creatures have developed some pretty cool survival instincts and have carved out unique niches in the coastal environment.

The Rhodes Scholar: the Octopus

©istockphoto/TheSP4N1SH

According to many marine biologists, octopuses are about as smart as a house cat, if not smarter. They’re brainy enough to figure out how to solve puzzles, recognize individual people who feed them, stage daring escapes from aquariums, and even pick world cup winners. They have to be: octopuses are slow, soft, and lack spines or poison to defend themselves or subdue prey. Brains are how they get by.