A Sort-of Sharktopus Spotted in Nature

Yes, the sharktopus is a ridiculous fantasy creature from the movies, but strange things can happen between two very different species in real life, too. Do you recall the picture of a weasel riding on the back of a flying woodpecker? That was ten years ago, before we blamed everything on artificial intelligence. Well, now we have a video of an octopus riding on the back of a shark!

This footage was captured in 2023 in the Hauraki Gulf near Kawau Island, New Zealand. The scientists from the University of Auckland saw something unusual on a mako shark and launched a GoPro in the water and a drone overhead to investigate. They tracked the two animals for ten minutes. The sighting was quite a surprise, as octopuses rarely come close to the water's surface. And that's about as close to a sharktopus as we're going to get in real life. -via Damn Interesting


Comments (0)

Don't you love news stories with "somehow"?

If the reporter had not used that word, the story would be the same. By using it, he implies that key details are being left out intentionally.
Abusive comment hidden. (Show it anyway.)
Login to comment.
Click here to access all of this post's 0 comments
Email This Post to a Friend
"A Sort-of Sharktopus Spotted in Nature"

Separate multiple emails with a comma. Limit 5.

 

Success! Your email has been sent!

close window
X

This website uses cookies.

This website uses cookies to improve user experience. By using this website you consent to all cookies in accordance with our Privacy Policy.

I agree
 
Learn More