Rejoice, octopi aficionados, for we have here another insight into the formidable mind of the soft-bodied alien mollusk!
In the below video (posted by ViralHog), an octopus and a diver play a game of tug-of-war with a GoPro, and the tension between the two competitors is palpable. It’s also a bit surreal to see the calculating octopus behave like a dog who wants its toy.
A man free-diving off the coast of Mandelieu-la-Napoule, France, recorded the video of the underwater GoPro battle. And while the video is both crisp and enlightening, unfortunately, there are no details available about the context of the encounter. But that’s how things usually go with aliens soft-bodied mollusks anyway, right?
In the video, which comes via Laughing Squid, we watch as the diver and octopus engage in a fierce battle over the small, super-durable camera. The fight begins with the octopus attempting to drag the GoPro away from its owner, but quickly devolves into an all out muscle matchup. A muscle matchup pinning hand against tentacle.
Despite its size, the little octopus is able to put up quite a fight thanks to its suckers. Although Goliath, a.k.a. the diver, does win out in the end. Which is probably a good thing considering the price of a GoPro. And the fact this octopus probably already has a treasure trove of stolen tourist gear.
Plus, even though the diver won this round, there’s no reason to think he will the next time. We’ve all seen what octopi can do before, and they are creepily crafty. As well as dangerously mesmerizing even when they seem most vulnerable.
What do you think about this tug-of-war between diver and octopus? And were you able to glean anything new about octopus psychology from this encounter? Let’s try to learn more about these alien invaders aquatic friends in the comments!
Feature image: ViralHog