Octopus is a deadly and beautiful night predator

Scuba diving is a thrilling and intimidating experience. Divers are fully aware every time they enter the water that they are slipping into a world of prey and predators and that there is sometimes a delicate balance between the two. Creatures that are made for stealth and speed are at home in the water and they are able to appear and disappear silently. They are able to see and smell at a much greater distance than humans and they hold every advantage. People are guests in this underwater domain and incorrect behavior will often have consequences.Show more

During daytime, when divers can see, this is a wondrous world full of beauty and mystery. The abundant sea life and dazzling colors are a spectacle to behold, and the risk seems negligible. But at night, the ocean is a completely different world. It is during the hours of complete darkness that most creatures come out to hunt for food. The reef becomes a dangerous and violent place and many of its inhabitants will not survive until daybreak.

This octopus is one of the top predators in the ocean and it is one of the best examples of a highly evolved nocturnal hunter. Its incredible intelligence and unique design make it one of the most fearsome hunters of the deep. It can be seen here moving smoothly with fluid grace over the coral in a search for unsuspecting fish or crabs. It can enter even the narrowest of crevices and holes and it will then spread out quickly to cover its prey and close off all avenues of escape. Powerful arms and hundreds of suction cups are used to draw prey to its center where it can cut or crush its prey easily with an extremely powerful beak.

This octopus can be seen changing color as it moves over different surfaces in order to camouflage itself as it moves in the open. When it enters a small cave under the coral it can be seen struggling briefly with some sort of fish or crab that it has caught. The struggle is over quickly and the octopus retreats fully out of sight to digest what its meal.

The octopus has problem solving and learning skills that are equaled by very few ocean creatures. It has a greater brain to body mass ration than any other invertebrates and even greater than many vertebrates.