“We were both yelling into our snorkels with excitement.”
Natasha Agra and a friend were swimming off the coast of Australia near the Great Barrier Reef the other day when they noticed something strange. They had no idea they were going to come face to face with a highly elusive species.
“We didn’t know what it was at first,” Agra told The Dodo.
They did, however, get closer.
As Agra and her companion got closer, they discovered the creature was an octopus. They could tell she wasn’t just any octopus, though, because they were marine researchers.
She was a blanket octopus, a colorful species famed for its flowing, drape-like appearance.
“We were both taken aback when we saw this gorgeous, free-swimming animal right in front of us!” According to Agra. “We were both excitedly shouting through our snorkels.”
Thankfully, they were able to keep their composure long enough to film this incredible footage:
This species usually lives in the open ocean’s deep waters. This octopus, on the other hand, appeared to enjoy being spotted closer to the beach.
Agra stated, “[She] put up quite a show.”
The octopus departed on her way after approximately 30 minutes, but not before leaving Agra and her buddy with a lasting experience.
“This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” Agra remarked.