Venomous Blue-Ringed Octopus

[gfaith]

We spent 11 days at Atlantis in Dauin/Dumaguete looking for that little beast. Finally got one on Siquijor (sicky hor) on a wall dive (go figure). Nice video..
Nice shot @Dan_T

 

[Dan]

I almost stepped on this one while walking on the rocky beach of Pandawa Beach, Bali, during low tide.

 

[Dan]

We spent 11 days at Atlantis in Dauin/Dumaguete looking for that little beast. Finally got one on Siquijor (sicky hor) on a wall dive (go figure). Nice video..
Nice shot @Dan_T

Thanks. They are around if you take your time to look around or have a good dive guide (local DM) with sharp eyes.

 

[gfaith]

It is my understanding they are often encountered in shallow water in and around bottles, cans, and shells. Just think, you find a nice shell and pick it up and then a blue-ring bites.

I think you have about one hour to get on a ventilator and then you have a chance.. Jeez

 

[Joneill]

I almost stepped on this one while walking on the rocky beach of Pandawa Beach, Bali, during low tide.

View attachment 407023

Great shots - you can really see the color. Good thing you didn't actually step on it!

 

[Dan]

The blue-ringed octopus, despite its small size, carries enough venom to kill twenty-six adult humans within minutes. Their bites are tiny and often painless, with many victims not realizing they have been envenomated until respiratory depression and paralysis start to set in. No blue-ringed octopus antivenom is available yet, making it one of the deadliest reef inhabitants in the ocean.

Video was taken on the GoPro Hero 4 with a Sea Life Sea Dragon 2000 Lumens Light and Tray. Video was taken in Dumaguete, Philippines.

I think that is the best GoPro video shot for such a tiny critter.

 

[gfaith]

Thanks. They are around if you take your time to look around or have a good dive guide (local DM) with sharp eyes.

The cool thing about the one I finally spotted was it was on a 70 foot wall in the soft coral, and I spotted it and got a brief video. The DM saw me after I filmed and he said I knew you found something cool watching you punch the water..

 

[Dan]

Great shots - you can really see the color. Good thing you didn't actually step on it!

Thanks. I took that shot with my iPhone6 1 inch from above water at an angle to avoid sunlight reflection on the surface. The water was only 4 inches deep (low tide).

 

[Gr8WyattWhale]

Can you really get poisoned just from proximity?!

 

[Dan]

If that's true, I'd have been lucky to get up close to several (5-6) of these octopus.