A conversation with Dr. Alex Schnell – HS Insider

In February 2024, I had the wonderful opportunity to meet Dr. Alex Schnell to interview for the next installment of Nat Geo’s ‘Secrets of…’ franchise, premiering today on Disney+. This iteration focuses on the octopus, an intriguing sea creature known for features such as its long eight arms, which scientists say are among the most intelligent animals on Earth.I had an interesting conversation with Dr. Alex Schnell, marine biologist and Nat Geo Explorer & Host, who has spent her career investigating the complex memory mechanisms of octopuses.

Interviewing her and learning about the spectacular features of octopuses made me realize that the beauty of nature and our world is sometimes unknown, but what is important is that we are willing to learn and to listen to the amazing creatures around us. Like Dr. Schnell said: They are sometimes overlooked.

This next installment of National Geographic’s ‘Secrets Of…’ franchise focuses on the octopus. I was wondering if you could tell me what fascinates you about octopus? Are they actually older than dinosaurs?

They are! They have been around longer than the time of the dinosaurs. I think what really attracts me to octopuses is that they are so different: they have followed a very different evolutionary path and most species live for 1 to 2 years. They do not form social bonds or have parental care and yet we say these glimpses of intelligence we once thought were unique to animals like chimpanzees, whales and elephants! We have a completely alien creature, which exhibits very unexpected characteristics.

What was the whole process of producing the docuseries like? What were your emotions?

It’s been an extraordinary journey, it’s over 2 years of production. At the time the producers running the production contacted me, I was 38 weeks pregnant and hesitant to participate. Filming was scheduled to take place a few months later and it was my first time becoming a mother, so I didn’t know how to navigate motherhood and filming. However, the more I heard about the project, the more excited I became about it, so I decided to dive in. It was so incredible. We filmed about twelve species on every continent except Antarctica. It has been a labor of love. The behavior we captured required an incredible amount of patience, especially from the underwater film crew. The editing, putting the story together and creating the right story took a long time. The trailer gave me goosebumps, so to speak. It was so incredible to finally see the project come to fruition.

What was your typical day as a National Geographic Explorer during filming?

It really depended on the location and what species we were going to film. For example, on Lizard Island we were filming the diurnal octopuses, which are active during the day – that’s where the name comes from – so we got up quite early in the morning. We would be underwater there for about four hours. In fact, most of the crew would wear rebreathers, allowing them to stay in the water longer. Then we came back, had a little break in the afternoon and usually did some filming on the boat, describing everything we saw. They were really long days. When we were filming the blue-ringed octopuses and all the other species in Port Phillip Bay, which are nocturnal octopuses, we didn’t get in the boat until 6pm. Sometimes we didn’t get on the boat until between 10 and 11 p.m. working all night long.

The Secrets of Octopus will be released on April 21, Earth Day. What message do you hope your docuseries will convey about protecting the environment?

I really hope that the main message of the series is that it creates a perspective shift for our audience. We know that humans feel the most empathy and compassion for the animals that are most closely related to us, those that look like us, those that behave like us. As you move down the evolutionary tree, we feel more connected to species that look nothing like us, especially those without backbones. I hope we have revealed to the public the secrets of the octopus and all the unexpected features that you would not expect in an invertebrate animal, you know these animals with eight arms and three hearts and blue blood. I wish that the revelation in this series can help break down this barrier of otherness, to help the audience connect with these animals to feel more compassion. We want to protect what we love. I see the octopus as an ambassador for the ocean and all the overlooked species we share our planet with. I really hope it creates a sense of greater connection with nature and with all the animals we share our planet with, not just the domesticated ones.

Are there any other creatures you would like to explore for this docuseries?

Yes, I have so many ideas! I think I would really like to explore the fish as a creature. The reason for this is that fish, like the octopus, can be perceived by the public as slimy, a bit wet, or just plain weird or different. But fish are so beautiful and exhibit sophisticated qualities – like we can see cooperation in fish – that could change the audience’s perspective; so I think this would be another animal in the ocean that I would like to represent.

What advice would you give to young girls who would like to pursue your own career as a marine biologist?

I think I was intrinsically interested in the ocean, so I became interested in marine science at a very young age. When I started studying it, I went into it with a very open mind. I wasn’t sure if I wanted to specialize, so I took all different types of courses, covering coastal management, coral speed systems and behavior. I think that’s the best advice I can give. Keep your options broad and make sure you follow your passions because at the time, many of my fellow students were taking courses like climate change and coral reefs because they were in dire need. Although we were encouraged to go, I felt like I wasn’t as passionate about this topic as I was about animal behavior and animal intelligence. I just really stomped on my passion. Ultimately, so much sweat, blood and tears go into this subject that you really have to stay passionate about it because that’s what keeps you going.

How did your passion for animal behavior and marine biology come about?

My passion for these subjects arose at a very young age. I was lucky enough to grow up on Sydney’s eastern beaches, so I spent all my free time at the beach. My first encounter with an octopus happened around the age of 6. I often went to the beach and looked for sea snails, crabs and stars. But then one afternoon I saw two very large eyes, rectangular pupils – because octopus have very rectangular pupils – looking back at me. We looked at each other for the longest time. I kept returning and visiting this octopus over the course of a few days. We had an incredible moment of connection. I think on the third day the octopus reached out and offered me a handshake; it felt incredible, such an exciting moment. Such interactions continued to occur. That was really the start of the career path that I eventually followed.

Is there anything you would like to add?

I hope we’ve created a narrative story and offered a revelation that can help audiences connect with a very different species. When I started my career fifteen years ago and looked at octopuses and other sea creatures, people would have responded, “Ugh, they’re so slimy and grotesque.” I think they’ve also been a huge inspiration for sea monsters. You see them in many myths, where ships are shot down. Time is turning, people are getting really interested in octopus and they are learning about this creature, for example ‘The Souls of an Octopus’ written by Sy Montgomery or ‘My Octopus Teacher’.

I really think our series in particular will give audiences a completely different perspective on an animal that was once overlooked.

This interview has been edited for clarity.

“The Secrets of Octopus” premieres April 21 (Earth Day) at 8/7c, the next day on Disney+ and Hulu.