Many folks of a certain age grew up with fears that a giant octopus would snatch them from the edges of the beach.  This was likely fueled by the many episodes of Sea Hunt, many which involved a giant octopus and a fight for life.  Of course, Mike Nelson always won these thrilling battles, but most of us were well aware that only Mike could survive such an attack.  For ourselves, we had fear.

Once I became a scuba diver, I realized that there was considerable myth in the “octopus attacks man” story, and seeing an octopus in the wild became a thrill instead of a nightmare.  However, we cannot dismiss the sheer power and speed of the lowly octopus.  In fact, it appears that some of them can even do battle successfully with the MOST feared apex predators in the ocean…..the shark.

While digging around on the web, I found this video.  It is several years old, but still very interesting and surprising.  Take a look at this amazing footage produced by National Geographic and see the real story when a large octopus goes up against a shark.  Enjoy.

Phil Ellis

Discount Scuba Gear at DiveSports.com