I found a brave little creature that didn't mind being out in the open.
I shared on youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MGk1XmdPP8I
I shared on youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MGk1XmdPP8I
Playing with an Octopus, Shaw's Cove - California
- Thread starter GoRemote
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Scuba-dan
Contributor
Your vid is nice, but did they not teach you not to touch animals ? Sorry I don't like it when people touch animals or corels.
OP
Some creatures are not hurt by careful interaction, and others are.
You just need to know what you are doing.
And yes, you are right, all new divers are told not to touch anything, because most people don't know the consequences for the animal (or the diver in some cases). And if you don't know 100%, don't touch.
Octopus are one of the creatures in the ocean that you can interact with for a short period without hurting it, as long as it's being handled carefully, and you make sure it gets back into its hole.
That said, I respect your policy of no touching. Its a healthy attitude. It's sad to see divers grabbing and pulling everything they get their hands on.
You just need to know what you are doing.
And yes, you are right, all new divers are told not to touch anything, because most people don't know the consequences for the animal (or the diver in some cases). And if you don't know 100%, don't touch.
Octopus are one of the creatures in the ocean that you can interact with for a short period without hurting it, as long as it's being handled carefully, and you make sure it gets back into its hole.
That said, I respect your policy of no touching. Its a healthy attitude. It's sad to see divers grabbing and pulling everything they get their hands on.
00wabbit
Contributor
You may not be hurting it but it was clearly agitated.
Imagine if every diver that day did the same thing to this octopus. They don't live that long to begin with. I don't think they need to be bothered so much.
Imagine if every diver that day did the same thing to this octopus. They don't live that long to begin with. I don't think they need to be bothered so much.
lamarpaulski
Contributor
Great video...btw the octopus was stalking you as prey so I don't think it needs psychological counseling quite yet.
Arubandi07
Contributor
Nice clip ... I was actually more worried about the Octo taking a little nibble. Seen that happen to another diver in a similar situation, with an animal about the same size.
Ended up with a Dime-size chunk missing, right by the base of his thumb. The Octopus also took a piece of glove, hope it didn't cause any indigestion ...
Ended up with a Dime-size chunk missing, right by the base of his thumb. The Octopus also took a piece of glove, hope it didn't cause any indigestion ...
OP
Actually the octopus was not very upset.
And as I said earlier, people need to know what to look out for, to make sure the animal (and your fingers) are safe.
This particular octopus, a Two-Spot Octopus, will have a lot more intensive color changes, with warm colors (red, orange) when it gets upset/angry. It will also change the shape of it's skin, creating "spikes" all over it's body, to scare of predators. Look for that next time you see one..
This one was more interested in catchin the weird creature in front of it (my hand). With any sign of serious discomfort for the animal, I would of course aborted the "playtime"... The reason he went back into it's hole the first time, was most likely because of fear for other animals around us. As soon as I came back to him, he came out again. If he was afraid or felt threatened, he would have stayed. Octopus are smart creatures with an awesome ability to learn by their mistakes.
The reason I posted this video, was because of the surprising tolerance it showed, for such a long time.
The Two-Spot octopus is the octopus you will see in most home aquariums, just because of it's "nice personality".
I am not a marine life expert, but I have a lot of interest and some knowledge about certain creatures we bump into, on land and under water. And as I said earlier, if you don't have the knowledge, don't touch.
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