December 22, 2005
Amazing video of octopus attacking a shark
I volunteered at the Seattle Aquarium for a short stint when I first moved to Seattle (I used to dive a lot and almost became a marine biologist instead of a computer dude.) During orientation, I heard an amazing story about how the staff were finding dead sharks in the big tank. Their tails had been torn off and their guts sucked out, leaving only the skin.
Turns out the octopuses in the tank were snaring the sharks as the the sharks swam past. Well, now, someone has caught this action on video. It's absolutely amazing and more than a little scary, especially as someone who has done night dives with octopi. Check it out.
Those octopuses are super smart. The Seattle Aquarium staff also told a story about how the octopuses adapted to having divers in the tank doing feedings. The octopuses realized that the divers were handing out food every day and wanted to get closer to the action. They quickly figured out the easiest way was to slide up the glass, slide along the surface of the water and find the air hose the diver was using, and then slide down the airhose to the diver. Apparently, the first time this happened, the visitors were watching an octopus come down the airhose toward the oblivious diver. They gestured wildly to the diver, who thought the visitors were waving at him. He smiled and waved back. All of a sudden, the octopus, now on the diver's back, reached around the diver on both sides and started grabbing at the food he was handing out. Obviously, the diver freaked out and shot for the surface. That would definitely make me hang up my dive fins.
I think it's time to declare a truce with the octopuses: we won't eat you if you don't eat us.
Thanks to TEDBlog for the link.
Posted by Tony at December 22, 2005 08:22 AM | TrackBackI've seen this video before, and it certainly made me a little more cautious about what lurks on the bottom. I can't tell how big those sharks are, but it does look to me as if that octopus could probably manage a scuba diver with little effort.
Posted by: Glenn Dawkins at June 25, 2007 08:34 AMi will be very carful of what i stand on in the water
Posted by: hamish at August 4, 2007 05:27 AMUgg did they save the shark, no. I know they really can't but what the hell. Yeah its cool but I also like sharks...alive
Posted by: Jim at September 4, 2007 06:43 PMI think you are crazy for doing such a thing as to hold a giant octpus but at the same time that is cool as hell.
Mr. Diver Dude
yo yo yo thats just crazy holding this giant octopus
Posted by: michael at October 27, 2007 11:42 AMlalalala send these pics to my e-mail!!
Posted by: holli stallard at November 8, 2007 12:15 PMcool
Posted by: alexia at November 27, 2007 05:35 PMWow, that was amazing! Yet, kinda freaky. im scared to go back in the ocean again! I'm definatley more cautious about what lives in the ocean, and how we can't really take over, or we'll be that shark!
Posted by: Ryan at December 15, 2007 08:38 AMActually the giant octopus is a very docile creature and extremely inteligent.
In Puget Sound I have held them for a fifteen minutes stroking them and when I swam off he followed me.
Posted by: Mike Youngblod at December 26, 2007 07:15 PMha ha ha. oh man. maybe we should just leave the ocean creatures alone! then they will leave us alone! jeez we dont want to be held by them, so we shouldnt hold them.
Posted by: sarah at January 7, 2008 07:01 AMwow. get a life and stop holding sea creatures
Posted by: sarah at January 7, 2008 07:02 AMomg you are crazy, i am sending this too all of my friends, maybe they will get a second opinion about these creatures
Posted by: leah at February 8, 2008 05:59 PMexcelent!! i wanna hold this giant octopus
Posted by: roque nava at April 9, 2008 06:24 PMwow this was a cool video. i want to swim with octupus still tho cuz i dont think they will do anything.
Posted by: kerri at May 29, 2008 05:14 PMI have Heard that the Giant Octopi in Puget Sound, depending on individual personality, love to play with divers. Some say that the cephlopods in question are facinated by the four limbed creatures that come to visit them. they certainly will play with air hoses and valves.
Posted by: Del at July 30, 2008 02:37 PMi dont believe it
Posted by: Nick Kern at September 17, 2008 09:46 AMHey! where's the video?
Posted by: kristine at October 17, 2008 10:27 PMWow and OH MAN!!!
i cant watch that awesome clip .... cause of this real player..
Why don't you show us the video??
Posted by: Wong Kok Rui at October 31, 2008 01:32 AMSorry, it looks like PBS took the video down. I'll link to it again if I find it.
Posted by: Tony at November 8, 2008 05:35 PMI'm sorry I have a really bad grammar OCD thing going on and I have to point that the plural of octopus is octopi not octopuses.
Posted by: Rob at January 12, 2009 06:58 AMhey cool picture BUT how do you get the VIDEO to WORK!!!!!!!
Posted by: tiffany at January 15, 2009 09:33 AMwow! this is amazing.............................................................. take me diving wit you:)
i pooalot!
not, crazy ppl!
Posted by: jimmy pooalot at February 8, 2009 06:29 AM@Rob: Actually, "octopuses" is the preferred plural. "Octopi" is apparently accepted but originates from an error.
http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/octopus
Posted by: Tony at February 8, 2009 11:39 PMi lovvvvvve octopus
Octopi are cute! Hurray for the octopi!
Posted by: Ocotpi_Lover at April 6, 2009 07:18 PMoctopus very danger
Posted by: usop at January 15, 2010 09:07 AM