Diver attempts to convince fussy octopus to give up it’s plastic cup armour

We’ve had octopuses on here a few times lately, and we bloody love that. As we’ve said a thousand times, they’re clever little buggers and it’s always interesting to see just how they spend their time. Now, if you’re a coconut octopus, you usually have to spend a fair bit of that time searching for coconut or clam shells to hide in. It make for a pretty awesome spectacle, but it gets even cooler when you get to inspect and reject a bunch of shells some nice diver is trying to convince you to accept.

Rightio, for this one, we’re going diving off the coast of Indonesia with diver Pall Sigurdsson.

According to him, “The coconut octopus, also known as veined octopus, is born with the instinct to protect itself by creating a mobile home out of coconut or clam shells.”

Credit: Pall Sigurdsson

Seeing as Pall obviously does a fair bit of diving, we’ll let him explain to you exactly what’s going on in this clip. “We spent a whole dive and most of our air saving this octopus from what was bound to be a cruel fate. This particular individual however has been trapped by their instincts and has made a home out of a plastic cup they found underwater.”

Obviously, while that says a thing or two about pollution and the ingenuity of the animal kingdom, it still poses a few problems for the octopus and any predators who might still be tempted to have a chomp.

Credit: Pall Sigurdsson

Sigurdsson reckons that, “While a shell is a sturdy protection, a passing eel or flounder would probably swallow the cup with the octopus in it, most likely also killing the predator or weakening it to a point where it will be soon eaten by an even bigger fish.”

Credit: Pall Sigurdsson

As you watch the video, what’s really apparent is just how bloody clever the little octopus is when it comes to picking the perfect shell. Have a squiz at it as it feels the inside of the shell for smoothness and then tests its weight.

Credit: Pall Sigurdsson

Obviously, if it’s gonna protect you from predators, you need to be able to move it quickly. Naturally, there’s a bit of toing and froing, but eventually, everything turns out all right and the job’s a goodun.

Final thought: As always, it’s bloody fascinating to watch critters in the animal kingdom do their thing and interact with humans. With octopuses, it’s even better because they’re such clever little pricks. Still, we reckon this just goes to show that if you’re going to make a change for the better, you’re well within your rights to make do until things are just right. Don’t ya reckon?

Just in case you missed it, here’s one of Ozzy’s latest commentary videos…Ozzy Man Reviews: Ninja Fails

Video Link: Pall Sigurdsson

H/T: REDDIT.