What is Athena?

Athena was the first octopus that Montgomery ever met. She was two-and-a-half years old, weighed about 40 pounds, and was around five feet long on that day. Montgomery described her head as "about the size of a small watermelon," her skin is bright red when they meet, and she embraces Sy enthusiastically (3). Montgomery feels a deep connection to Athena and is inspired to her year-long obsession with cephalopods by her. Athena dies after a few months, which Montgomery is very upset by.