A local diver captured a rare glimpse of an elusive blue-ringed octopus carrying her eggs off Australia’s Victoria coast. The diver said these stunning creatures typically remain hidden away, making this encounter incredibly special.
RYE PIER, VICTORIA, Australia – An experienced local diver and underwater photographer has captured an extremely rare sight: a mother blue-ringed octopus carrying her eggs in Port Phillip Bay, Australia.
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Jules Casey, who shared the incredible footage on her Instagram account, recounted the unique encounter.
Australian diver films elusive blue-ringed octopus and her eggs in stunning footage.
( Jules Casey via Storyful)
Casey said she was initially pointing out a conger eel to her dive buddy when he spotted the octopus.
After briefly losing sight of the creature while moving toward it, she returned about an hour later and found the octopus in the same spot.
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The striking video shows the octopus’s brilliant blue rings contrasting sharply against what appears to be an orange sponge.
Australian diver films elusive blue-ringed octopus and her eggs in stunning footage.
( Jules Casey via Storyful)
The white/cream and almost translucent jellybean-like structures wrapped around her tentacles are her eggs.
According to a post by Casey, encountering a blue-ringed octopus out in the open is highly unusual because they generally remain concealed in their dens. She notes that a predator might have disturbed this particular female.
“But what was really interesting, she stayed out in this position for hours,” Casey wrote in her post, regarding the creature’s unusual behavior.
