SANTA FE, Philippines – A British man in the Philippines unknowingly handled one of the deadliest animals in the world on Wednesday.
Andy McConnell was vacationing in the Philippines when he stumbled across a blue-ringed octopus while swimming in the ocean.
The name comes from the creature’s indistinguishable blue markings.
“These markings are certainly very beautiful and striking to look at. However, they are only displayed when the octopus is about to dispense its deadly poison,” according to a statement from experts at the Australian Institute of Marine Science (aims.gov.au).
In the video, the man films himself delicately holding the octopus, quickly grabbing it whenever it tries to swim away.
“I’ve never seen it before,” said McConnell.
A man unknowingly handled one of the deadliest animals on earth in the Philippines.
(Andy McConnell via Storyful)
Thankfully, the octopus was in a good enough mood not to release its deadly toxins onto the palm of McConnell.
Within its salivary glands live bacteria, which produce the chemical tetrodotoxin, according to aims.gov.au. This is a strong, fast-acting toxin that paralyzes the target by blocking nerve transmission.
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Many people have come close to dying from the deadly toxin. The paralysis from the octopus overcomes only voluntary muscles, leaving you completely conscious as you lose mobility.
(GERMANY OUT) Blue Ringed Octopus, Hapolochlaena lunulata, Australia, Pacific Ocean, Great Barrier Reef.
(Reinhard Dirscherl/ullstein bild / Getty Images)
According to some reports from the National Library of Medicine, experts consider this toxin to be a thousand times more deadly to humans than cyanide.
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Needless to say, this man escaped a near-death situation without even knowing it.
If you ever see a blue-ringed octopus while swimming in the ocean, the best advice would be to avoid it altogether.
