A Washington diver has captured striking photos of a massive, alien-looking octopus living in shallow waters along the state’s coastline. A rare cephalopod that spends most of its life in the deep sea has been injured. After all, he was recently attacked by a thresher shark.
Underwater photographer Erik Askilsrud took these photos while diving off Cape Tong in the Salish Sea near the Canadian border on September 8. While exploring the kelp bed, Askilsrud encountered an octopus at a depth of 3 m. The length of the cephalopod was approximately 0.9 m.
“It swam motionless, lowering its tentacles,” Askilsrud said Live Science. At first Askilsrud thought it was a seaweed ball, but soon realized he was looking at a “very strange” octopus.
Askrilsund had no idea what species the octopus belonged to, so he sent the photos to Gregory Jensen, a marine biologist at the University of Washington, who identified the creature as a seven-armed octopus (Halifron atlanticus).
It is one of the two largest known species of octopus; Its estimated maximum length is 3.5 m and its weight is approximately 75 kg. The only living creature that can compete with it is the giant octopus. Source
Source: Port Altele
