Paul hatched from an egg at the Sea Life Centre in Weymouth, England. He then moved to a tank at one of the chain's centres in Oberhausen, Germany. His name has been derived from the title of a poem by the German children's writer Boy Lomsen : Der Tintenfisch Paul Oktopus.
According to DOA, local businessman in Carballino, a community in Galicia collected about 30,000 Euro, 'Transfer Fee' to get Paul as main attraction of the local Fiesta del pulpo festival. Though Manuel Pazo, a fisherman assured that Paul would be presented alive in a tank and not on the menu, Sea Life Centres rejected the offer.
Paul's career began during the UEFA Euro 2008 tournament. He correctly predicted the outcome of 4 out of 6 matches of Germany.
Then came 2010 FIFA World Cup.....
Paul's correct choices for the 2010 World Cup, broadcast live by German news channel NTV, endowed him with the celebrity status. He predicted the winners of each of the seven 2010 FIFA World Cup matches that Germany played against Australia, Serbia, Ghana, England, Argentina, Spain and Uruguay.
Paul correctly predicted the outcome of the semi-final, by choosing the food in the box marked with the Spanish.Though nobody knows how he used to choose the boxes, he maintained a 100% accurate record during the tournament by correctly predicting Spain's victory over Netherlands in the Final.
In the end all I can say is that he has been a superstar and deserves a quiet retirement. Paul is arguably the most famous sea creature the world has ever seen.
