Over 100,000 cuttlefish gather in Australia yearly; fewer than 10 arrived in 2026, baffling scientists

Every winter, more than 100,000 giant Australian cuttlefish can be found mating along the rocky coastline of Point Lowly, northeast of Whyalla, South Australia. They put on shape-shifting, colourful displays in their attempts to attract a mate. This is the only cuttlefish aggregation in the world and thousands of enthusiastic fans travel to regional South Australia and brave the freezing water temperatures to experience this unique phenomenon.Giant Australian cuttlefish are the world's largest cuttlefish species and are only found in southern Australia. They are cephalopods, a type of advanced mollusc that also includes octopuses, squid and nautiluses. Adult giant cuttlefish typically congregate in small groups to mate. But at Point Lowly, one special population forms a single, large mating aggregation along an 8-kilometre (5-mile) stretch of shallow reef. Like most cephalopods, the cuttlefish life cycle lasts about a year. In winter, eggs are laid at the aggregation site and hatch in spring; juveniles then spend the summer and autumn months growing in deeper waters before adults return to the aggregation site. Crucially, after mating, all adult cuttlefish die, meaning the next gen...