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MOSSEL BAY NEWS AND VIDEO - Local photographer and videographer Christiaan Stopforth had an extraordinary encounter with an elusive and scarcely-seen blanket octopus in the Mossel Bay harbour.
According to information published on www.barrierreef.org, blanket octopuses spend their whole lives, three to five years, floating in the open ocean and when they feel threatened, they swoop down into deeper waters with their capes flowing behind them.
"The blankets can be folded under the octopus’ arms to make for a faster getaway, if needed. This cape can be detached when the octopus is in distress, to distract or cling to a predator," stated the information on the Barrier Reef.
Only the female blanket octopuses have this cape.
Stopforth told Mossel Bay Advertiser he was at Mossel Bay's National Sea Rescue Institute's Station 15 for its open day just after 12:00 on Saturday, 8 March, when he spotted something vibrantly violet-coloured, with hues of red and blue, swimming in the water.
He saw it was an octopus and jumped into the water to swim alongside it and get some photographs and video footage of it.
VIDEO: Christiaan Stopforth/ Drone Fanatics SA
Stopforth said it was only after he had posted the photographs and videos of the octopus on his Instagram page and his Drone Fanatics SA Facebook page, that several people, including scientists, sent him messages that it was the blanket octopus.
"The chances that you will see one like that are slim. When I was in the water, it even approached me. It was an extraordinary experience," he said.
According to information published on www.oceanconservancy.org in January 2023, the blanket octopus (genus Tremoctopus) is rarely encountered by humans.
The information stated that blanket octopuses are usually found in subtropical and tropical oceans, and live in either the open ocean or near coral reefs such as the Australian Great Barrier Reef, the Gulf of Mexico, the Mediterranean Sea and the Indian Ocean. They are nomadic and move around every few days to a new destination.
They are carnivores and eat smaller fish. It has also developed an immunity to jellyfish stings and according to Oceans Conservancy, has been reported to rip the tentacles off jellyfish to use as weapons to hunt prey.
Information on the Barrier Reef stated that female blanket octopuses grow up to two metres in length, while the male only reaches a length of 2.4cm.
This blanket octopus was spotted at the Mossel Bay harbour by Christiaan Stopforth. Photo: Drone Fanatics SA
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