Octopus

General information

Octopus is one of the smartest guys you can find underwater. They have very good sight and easily notice divers approaching from afar. Spotting one can be quite tricky as apart from their sight, they are masters of camouflage. Taking images of octopus might be even trickier! Commonly they prefer to hide in rocky outcrops, where they can safely have their food without being interrupted by other underwater creatures.

Color

Octopus is able to change its color based on the surroundings. This is their primary way of defense but hey also use this ability for hunting. Octopus use their skin cells to adjust its color, opacity and even reflectivity. Interestingly enough, they also use it for communicating with others. Another interesting fact is that octopuses spend about half of their lifetime hiding.

Interaction

If you’re lucky to spot one underwater, be careful and approach gently without doing sharp movements. Spend some time next to an octopus and show him you pose no danger. You might get a reward and an octopus might try to touch you with his arm in an attempt to identify you. Some generally younger species are likely to interact, while the older, more mature ones prefer to stay away. Or, if you’re an underwater photographer – you might get some beautiful images of octopus as a reward.

Kraken

People adore and admire octopuses. They have been with us forever and strongly integrated in our culture. Probably the best example is Kraken. It’s an octopus like sea monster that has been pulling down ships back in 18th century. While I don’t have any photos of Kraken 🙂 i do have a bunch of the others that you might enjoy below: