Octopus hugs an undercover spy — the sweetest underwater 'thank you' mankind has ever seen

Even with so many technological advancements, all aspects of the vast oceans covering our planet haven't been fully discovered to date. In fact, as per a report by Ocean Exploration, only a small portion of our oceans have been explored, leaving a significant part of the marine world undiscovered. The study further reveals that as of June 2024, only 26.1% of the global seafloor has been mapped. Despite the long journey ahead in discovering the mysteries of the ocean's depths, thanks to high-resolution, modern technologies, we have come a long way in interacting with aquatic animals underwater. A BBC wildlife documentary, "Spy in the Ocean," used a camera disguised as an animatronic octopus to interact with a real coconut octopus in the ocean. 

The video focuses on how an octopus uses all their brains to function, but the astonishing documentary unknowingly captured a heartwarming moment. At one point, the coconut octopus can be seen moving towards the spy camera, engulfing it in what appeared to be a gentle, heartfelt hug. As captured in the documentary, the spy camera helped the real octopus hide from wild predators underwater, like a deadly shark. Perhaps that hug was his way of expressing gratitude to his newfound friend. "This is how he treats his friends," the BBC narrator said, as the short film played the precious moment on screen. As per Live Science, these creatures usually foil their predators by "stealing identities."

"Octopuses are considered to be the master of camouflage. An octopus can change its color, pattern and texture of its skin in an instant," Noam Josef, a study researcher at Ben-Gurion University in Israel, shared. Research claims that instead of blending in with the background, octopuses take on the shape and color of certain environmental objects in their surroundings, such as a coral, rock, seabed, branch, and so on. "By reproducing key features of well-chosen objects, the octopus can produce an effective camouflage that may fool a wide range of potential predators," Josef shared. Given that they have sensors all along their tentacles, they can relay photographic memory, which influences the colour patterns on their skin.

The octopuses seem like easy prey to countless voracious carnivores, and, as per Science ABC, their vibrant color, slow movement, and soft exterior constantly put them under threat of being attacked. So, to save themselves, apart from changing identities, the octopuses confuse their predators with misleading illusions by squirting ink. Whenever these incredible marine creatures sense danger approaching, they squirt ink, which not only allows them to escape the situation but also acts like a "visual alarm cue" for other members of their group.

Moreover, the report said that the ink contains tyrosinase, a melanin-producing compound, which helps octopuses irritate their predators' eyes, giving them the time to retreat to safety. Interestingly, apart from full-grown, adult octopuses, even their babies can squirt ink, produced by their special glands. Notably, these ink gland only produces and release the ink into the sac to store. When required, this stored ink is released through the rectum, through a gut near the anal end of the octopus. But who controls this ink-squirting phenomenon? Well, it's their brain and neural connections that decide when and in which situations the ink is released. Studying these sentient beings is a source of great mystery and joy, with interest only growing as more secrets come to light.

You can follow BBC (@bbc) on YouTube for more such animal documentaries.