The Bay of Naples

Polly came in over the Bay of Naples in late morning. The water was the colour of green glass. Mount Vesuvius sat on the far side of the bay, partly hidden by haze. The air smelled of salt and diesel from fishing boats.

Polly kom ind over Napolibugten sent om formiddagen. Vandet havde farven af grønt glas. Vesuv lå på den anden side af bugten, delvist skjult af dis. Luften duftede af salt og diesel fra fiskerbåde.

She followed the shoreline. She could see laundry hanging from balconies and scooters in the streets.

Hun fulgte kystlinjen. Hun kunne se vasketøj hænge fra altaner og scootere i gaderne.

Her destination was an old building on the water. A small brass plaque read STAZIONE ZOOLOGICA ANTON DOHRN, FONDATA 1872.

Hendes destination var en gammel bygning ved vandet. En lille messingplade læste STAZIONE ZOOLOGICA ANTON DOHRN, FONDATA 1872.

Polly knew about this place. It had been founded by a German zoologist named Anton Dohrn. The Bay of Naples is one of the richest sea ecosystems in Europe. The institute has been studying octopuses since 1873. It is the oldest marine biology institute still working in the world.

Polly kendte til dette sted. Det var grundlagt af en tysk zoolog ved navn Anton Dohrn. Napolibugten er et af de rigeste havøkosystemer i Europa. Instituttet har studeret blæksprutter siden 1873. Det er det ældste marinebiologiske institut, der stadig fungerer i verden.

She perched on the railing. A young researcher in a navy lab coat unlocked the back door. She saw Polly and smiled. "Come on in."

Hun satte sig på rækværket. En ung forsker i en marineblå laboratoriefrakke låste bagdøren op. Hun så Polly og smilede. "Kom indenfor."

The building smelled of seawater. Long corridors ran between rooms full of tanks. Through the glass walls, Polly saw sardines, a small octopus in a corner, and a sea hare on a kelp blade.

Bygningen duftede af havvand. Lange korridorer løb mellem rum fulde af tanke. Gennem glasvæggene så Polly sardiner, en lille blæksprutte i et hjørne og en havhare på et tangblad.

The researcher's name was Chiara Bianchi. She had been studying cephalopod cognition for nine years. "The octopuses are the smartest animals here," she said. "Or at least the smartest ones we are sure are conscious."

Forskerens navn var Chiara Bianchi. Hun havde studeret blæksprutters kognition i ni år. "Blæksprutterne er de klogeste dyr her," sagde hun. "Eller i det mindste de klogeste, vi er sikre på, er bevidste."

They came to a tall round tank. A card on the side read PASTA, 2.3KG, GPO. Inside, folded into a coil of plastic pipe, was a giant Pacific octopus. Eight arms wrapped tidily around itself. One golden eye watched through the glass.

De kom til en høj rund tank. Et kort på siden læste PASTA, 2,3KG, GPO. Indeni, foldet i en spiral af plastikrør, var en kæmpe Stillehavsblæksprutte. Otte arme var pænt viklet omkring sig selv. Et gyldent øje kiggede gennem glasset.

Chiara set her coffee down. "Pasta," she said, "meet Polly."

Chiara satte sin kaffe fra sig. "Pasta," sagde hun, "mød Polly."

The octopus did not move. But its eye stayed on Polly.

Blæksprutten bevægede sig ikke. Men dens øje blev på Polly.

"You can perch on the rim," Chiara said. "She will not splash you. She is calm in the mornings. She gets clever in the afternoons."

"Du kan sidde på kanten," sagde Chiara. "Hun vil ikke sprøjte dig. Hun er rolig om morgenen. Hun bliver snu om eftermiddagen."