seaducer
Contributor
I am not sure about octopus in particular, but generally speaking a slime coat is part of the immune system, specifically to protect an animal from things like foreign bacteria. In effect touching the slime coat is allowing it to do the job it is intended to do. Gentle physical interaction will not harm the slime coat, at least your wet skin won't, gloves might depending on the material.
Damaging or removing that slime will cause physical distress to the animal, in part because they have to repair the damage and in part because it leaves them vulnerable to illness. In the wild illness is often fatal as predators key in on distressed animals.
Whether or not interacting with animals crosses a moral boundry is an individual question. I feel whenever divers enter the water we are altering the behavior of animals in that environment. This makes it hard for scientists studying behavior to discern what is natural and what have they themselves influenced simply by being there.
We interface if you will with our senses, touch being a very important one. I think as long as the interaction is not causing obvious distress or physical harm there is nothing wrong with that, animals interact with each other all the time. Ripping an animal out of it's hiding place for oohs ahhs pics and tips is crossing a line IMO. Having come upon the animal innocently and spooking it out into the open is, well in some cases unavoidable, enjoy the moment.
The obvious caveat to the above is hunting/fishing. I would only ask that the animal is legal, abundant and humanely dispatched.
A quick search on this board will show posts made by my No Touch Nazi alter ego. I do think the best general course of action is look but not touch. There are a serious boatload of divers diving on the same reefs day in and day out year after year. Failing to respect the environment can quickly make that environment less pleasant to visit. It is not what we as individuals do that has an impact but rather we as a group. I can tickle a puffer without causing too much stress. But what if I am the 3rd or 4th person to do that today? How many come after me?
I can't control others, so for the most part I leave everything alone and hope everyone else does too. The interactions I have had are some of my best memories, and are guilt free as I did not initiate contact nor control the duration of it.
