Upon Second Thought…
The study team failed to recognize the significance of the discovery as a result of Robinson’s leadership. To put it another way, it took a long before they were able to return to the depths. It wasn’t until they returned to the same location that they realized that the strange Octopus had resurfaced.
The crew would have to wait another 38 days before returning to the depths; or, to put it another way, this Octopus had been swimming around this wall region for approximately five weeks before it was discovered. The object it was tasked with safeguarding had to be of the highest importance. What was it precisely that this Octopus was guarding?