Watch a Huge Octopus Steal a Photographer’s Equipment and Refuse to Let Go

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What would you do if a giant Pacific octopus decided it wanted your diving equipment and didn’t let go? Do you think you’re strong enough to avoid getting your equipment, or yourself, pulled away by this massive cephalopod? Check out the video above and you’ll see why it’s smart to keep your distance from wildlife. Especially when that wildlife is as big as a giant octopus.

The short clip above shows a diver having a major struggle with a massive octopus. The video was filmed in the Sea of Japan off the coast of Primorsky Krai, a region in the Russian Far East. A diver had come face to face with a giant Pacific octopus who had decided it wanted a closer inspection of whatever was swimming in its territory. It’s impossible to tell from the short clip if the diver initiated the first contact, but we can see the octopus wrap its tentacled arms around the diver, first grabbing his breathing equipment and then his camera. The diver keeps pulling the many arms off, but they keep coming back. Once the diver frees himself, the octopus turns its attention to the camera rig.

The clip ends before we find out who won the battle over the camera rig. Did the diver get his gear back or did the giant octopus swim away with expensive equipment?

Is the Giant Pacific Octopus Aggressive Towards Humans?

These massive sea creatures can be found in the chilly waters of the Pacific Ocean from shallow waters to depths up to 4,900 feet. Their habitats range from around Korea and Japan, to the coastlines of Mexico, the United States, and Canada. On average they grow up to 16 feet long and weigh 132 pounds, although the largest on record weighed 600 pounds and had a 30-foot arm span. Despite their size, these sea giants are usually shy of humans. Their prey is shrimp, clams, and small fish, not people. If they see a human or a diver swimming in their territory, they are highly unlikely to attack.

If that’s true, what was going on in the video? Very likely, the giant octopus was merely curious about the diver and his equipment. Or it could be the octopus was irritated about having his territory invaded.

The Giant Pacific Octopus is Venomous

Although the octopus held on to the diver with its tentacles and didn’t want to let go, had the creature felt threatened, it could have bitten the diver with its sharp beak and injected venom. While the venom isn’t fatal, it would cause swelling and pain, and the diver would have needed treatment.

The diver here was likely in the most danger when the octopus attempted to grab his breathing apparatus. As we mentioned before, we don’t see enough of the video to know, whether the diver entered the octopus’s space, or if it was the other way around.

How Strong is an Octopus?

Octopuses have incredible strength. As you can see in the video, the diver has a hard time getting free of the octopus, and we never see how the diver gets his camera rig out of its grip. If the great Pacific octopus uses all eight arms, it can move objects up to 700 pounds.

Octopuses don’t have bones or any kind of skeletal structure. Their strong arms are made up of muscles, tissue, skin, and neurons. Not only are its arms strong, but the suckers located up and down their tentacles also have impressive grip strength. A female octopus has over 2,220 suction cups total on its body, while a male has slightly less.

These suckers are muscular and create suction cup force on objects of up to 35 pounds of force. Not only that, the suckers sit on muscular bases and can rotate in different directions and even be elongated to double their length. They use their suckers and their sharp beaks to open clams and break open lobster shells. They also can sense and taste with their suckers.

Knowing all of this, it’s little wonder the diver had such a struggle.

Strength and Smarts

Octopuses have more going for them than brute strength. They are one of the most intelligent animals on earth. Researchers have found that octopuses can go through mazes, complete puzzles, unscrew bottle tops, interact with their handlers, and form long-term memories.

With their sophisticated camouflage abilities, they can mimic other creatures or hide perfectly on the bottom of the ocean floor to avoid predators. Not only do they have a central brain of neurons in their head, but each arm is filled with neurons, containing a mini-brain in all eight arms.