Curious octopus tries to drag camera to his lair under coral

Octopus are highly intelligent and much more inquisitive than we give them credit for. Capable of learning and problem solving, they quickly investigate new objects in their surroundings. They are even capable of learning how to screw open jar lids to escape or to access food inside. Scientists have even found than an octopus watching another octopus perform such a task will immediately learn how to manipulate the jar lid successfully.Show more

This swimmer was exploring and filming the shallow water around the dock at a secluded resort on Vava'u Island in Tonga. He was filming fish and sea anemones, among other things, when this octopus came into view. The octopus was hunting and it was changing color and texture to match each surface that it clung to. It moved along the small ledge of a coral head while reaching its arms underneath to catch fish. As it did so, it changed to jet black.

The octopus became focused on one of the crevices beneath and it appeared to have caught a fish or two as the snorkeler filmed the spectacular camouflage display. He put a small GoPro session on the sandy bottom, pointing at the octopus so that he could get some close up footage. The Octopus initially just looked at the camera and the swimmer but remained still. A beautiful white eel cruised past and the camera man decided to take his other cameras with him to follow the eel as it hunted. After 5-10 minutes of following the eel, he returned to the Octopus and was surprised to see that the blinking red light was no longer visible. Then he saw the light reappear and he lit up the area a little to the left of the spot he had left it.
The octopus had stolen the camera and had tried to get it under the coral into a crevice. It may have been curiosity that made him explore the camera with his tentacles.

The footage on the little camera was very dark from the moment that the camera man left with his light, but it becomes more visible when he returns and lights up the scene of the crime. The camera man managed to take the little camera back and it was later that he saw what it had recorded as the tentacles of the octopus slithered over the camera lens.

These creatures are incredibly beautiful and mysterious and they make venturing out onto the reef after dark a very rewarding experience.