5 Amazing Octopus Videos

I've been diving for many years, and there are many interesting animals to watch underwater. Some people dream of observing sharks; Others prefer dolphins or Sea Turtles; Some would kill for a Frogfish. Me - I'm an octopus lady. Give me an Octopus and my dive is complete. They are extremely interesting, and I can watch them for hours - if they let me.

There are around 300 recognized octopus species, which is over one-third of the total number of known cephalopod species. Octopuses are highly intelligent, probably more intelligent than any other order of invertebrates. In laboratory experiments, octopuses can be readily trained to distinguish between different shapes and patterns.

Octopuses have also been observed in what some have described as play: repeatedly releasing bottles or toys into a circular current in their aquariums and then catching them. Octopuses often break out of their aquariums and sometimes into others in search of food. They have even boarded fishing boats and opened holds to eat crabs.

YouTube has many interesting underwater video clips. This time, I have collected 5 amazing Octopus videos - with events and stories you definitely don't see every day.

Here they are:

#5
Octopus Vs. Bird

What does an octopus do when a bird annoys it?

#4
Can you Spot the Octopus?

Octopuses have amazing camouflage abilities. Watch this clip and try to spot the hiding octopus. Can't see it? Wait - it will reveal itself.




#3
The Indonesian Mimic Octopus

A good friend of mine showed me this clip a while back, and it's still amazes me. Talk about camouflage and mimicry! This octopus is AMAZING.




#2
An Octopus that Opens Bottles

An octopus in New-Zealand has unlocked her special powers by opening bottles to earn her lunch.




#1
Octopus Vs. Shark

Who is really on the top of the food chain? Who is the strongest, smartest animal? The mighty shark or the giant octopus? You might be surprised.






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My First Frogfish

I've been a certified scuba diver since 1992. I have dived in Israel, Sinai and Seychelles - and saw many interesting things underwater. I'm not a spoiled diver. Just give me salty and calm water, and I'll have my fun. Still, it's always fun to discover and see new creatures underwater. Yesterday, while diving in Eilat, I saw my first ever Frogfish.

We actually went to Eilat to try and get a glimpse of the Whale Shark, that's been hanging out there for a few weeks. No luck in that department, but we still had lots of fun and 6 dives in two days - which is cool.

So, here's my first ever Frogfish (more pictures on Flickr):

Flickr Video is now Live

The rumors have been true - we have Flickr video. If you login to your Flickr account, you'll see that you are now able to upload videos as well as pictures.

There's a limit of 90 seconds and 150 MB to uploaded videos.

Flickr video has two basic rules: only "safe" and "moderated" content is allowed, and you can only upload videos that you have created yourself.

Only pro members can upload video content, but anyone can view it, provided they have permission. There are no general upload limits, except the ones on the individual clip.

Flickr supports uploads of AVI, WMV, MPEG, MOV and 3gp videos.

I uploaded a 21 MB clip, which of course took forever and a day. Once it uploads, the video is processed rather quickly. Quality is good. You can also embed it in your blog if you feel like it. The clip can be watched from the photo stream itself, which is rather cool.

It's a very nice addition to have alongside the pictures, especially with digital cameras these days, which give you the option to shoot short clips.

Obviously, this is not a YouTube replacement. I don't think we'll be seeing much music clips or news bloopers - I guess the Flickr video experience will be more personal and artsy. We'll see. In the mean time, I hope to get some cool clips to add to my photo stream, in the upcoming diving safari in Sinai.

Probably the Best Way to End the Year

Divers always enjoy meeting interesting animals underwater. Personally, I don't wait for the big ones (like turtles or sting-rays). For me, even staring at some amazingly-purple Fridman's Dottyback, is a lovely experience. You can see very interesting things in every dive. They don't have to be big or exotic, you just need to open your eyes and LOOK.

Still, there are times in which mother nature grants you her favor, and you get an experience of a lifetime. And this is what happened to me at the end of 2007.

A diving safari in Ras Mohammed, Sinai. December 29th, early morning, first dive of the day. On our way to the so-called Sarah H. wreck, we encounter an amazing group of about 40 dolphins. We quickly jump into the water and spend a magnificent quarter of an hour with these incredible creatures. Words can hardly describe the feeling, and not even this video can explain how utterly lucky we have been. Still, this is how it looked like, and it is probably the best way to end 2007: