An amazing underwater video of an octopus stealing a GoPro camera from an Australian diver has gone viral, delighting social media users.
The encounter happened when an Australian teen was snorkeling off the coast of New South Wales in the Boderee National Park. 15-year-old Jesse Loffel was filming an octopus from a safe distance in Jervis Bay when the animal decided to steal the equipment.
Watch the video here:
"It slowly reached out a tentacle and grabbed the selfie stick, pulling the camera in. A tug of war ensued and the octopus won,'' the teen's mother Karen Johnson told Yahoo News Australia.
He eventually had to seek assistance. The teen then approached 52-year-old underwater photographer Maree Clout, who was also snorkeling in the water.
“I had all sorts of dilemmas go through my mind,” she explained. “I asked him what was wrong and his reply was ‘An octopus took my camera'.”
Ms. Clout and her friend Pary Vlandis then reached the underwater spot where Jesse last saw his camera. When they reached there, luckily, the octopus was still there, with each of its eight arms firmly wrapped around the GoPro.
However, the octopus was in no mood to give up the camera without a fight.
Ms. Clout said she wiggled the camera sideways a few times before the octopus reluctantly let go.
“He really didn't want to let it go, so I had no choice but to lift the GoPro up with it on it. Man, he was heavy,” she added.
