Footage of an octopus riding a shark has stunned scientists – and delighted marine animal enthusiasts.
Researchers spotted the orange Maori octopus clinging to the back of a large shortfin mako shark in the Hauraki Gulf off the northern coast of New Zealand in December 2023. The University of Auckland research team was searching the ocean for feeding frenzies at the time.
The marine scientist Rochelle Constantine was confused at first about what exactly she was seeing, thinking the orange patch on the shark’s head might be an injury.
“At first, I was like: ‘Is it a buoy?’” Constantine told the New York Times. “‘Is it entangled in fishing gear or had a big bite?’”
A technician set up a drone for a closer look. As they drew nearer, they saw tentacles – thereby discovering the world’s first “sharktopus”.
The Maori octopus is the largest octopus in the southern hemisphere. “You can see it takes a fair amount of real estate on the shark’s head,” Constantine said.
Octopuses are typically found on the seabed, which shortfin mako sharks rarely visit, making the incident even stranger.
“We moved on after 10 minutes, so I can’t tell you what happened next,” Constantine told Oceanographic. “The octopus may have been in for quite the experience, though, since the world’s fastest shark species can reach 50km per hour.”
She said the unusual encounter is another example of how much of the ocean and marine life is still unknown, including the crucial and diverse role sharks play in the marine ecosystem.
“The ‘sharktopus’ encounter is a reminder of the wonders of the ocean,” Constantine said. “One of the best things about being a marine scientist is that you never know what you might see next in the sea. By supporting conservation initiatives, we can help to ensure that such extraordinary moments keep happening.”
