22/10/2026
🐙 Three hearts, blue blood, eight arms… and a brain unlike almost anything else in the ocean.
Octopuses are among the most fascinating invertebrates on Earth, and encounters like this remind us just how extraordinary they are.
During this dive, we witnessed an octopus handling an eel it had caught. As a diver approached, the octopus released its prey. When the eel was returned, it grabbed it again and retreated into its den.
Was it responding to a perceived threat? Was its feeding behaviour interrupted? We can’t know exactly what motivated it, but the encounter offers a glimpse into the complex lives of these remarkable animals.
- Intelligence distributed throughout the body: Octopuses have approximately 500 million neurons, with a large proportion located in their arms. Their arms can process sensory information and coordinate movements with considerable independence.
- Three hearts and blue blood: Two hearts pump blood through the gills, while a third circulates it around the body. Their blood contains copper-based haemocyanin, which helps transport oxygen and gives it a blue colour.
- Masters of disguise: Specialised skin cells allow octopuses to rapidly change colour and pattern. They can also alter their skin texture, helping them blend into their surroundings.
- Arms that can taste: Their suckers contain receptors that detect chemical signals through contact, allowing octopuses to explore their environment in ways very different from our own.
- Remarkable problem-solvers: Octopuses can learn, manipulate objects, open containers and use shelters. Some species have even been observed carrying coconut shells for protection.
And perhaps one of their most fascinating behaviours is how they balance hunting, feeding and avoiding danger in a constantly changing underwater environment.
Our presence can influence these behaviours, which is why giving marine animals space to feed and behave naturally is so important.
The more we discover about octopuses, the more extraordinary they become. Do you agree?
Share with us your occy experience 👇
