When something truly beautiful and moving comes along, something magical happens where the internet ceases to be a dumpster fire. Today, that moment was brought to us by @RebeccaRHelm, an assistant professor at the University of North Carolina Ashville, who charmed the world with this stunning video of a female blanket octopus:
The world can be rough. Politics, viruses, natural disasters. So here is a female blanket octopus to remind you that this planet is still a pretty amazing place.
You’ve got this.
Video by NAD Lembeh Resort: https://t.co/EmnBw9KwJj #OpenOceans #DailyJelly pic.twitter.com/kzsdS3bXOG
— Open Ocean Exploration (@RebeccaRHelm) February 13, 2020
The video was shot during a night dive in the Lembeh Strait, which is located in Indonesia. The female blanket octopus, which can grow to over 6 feet long (over 10,000 times the size of males), shows off their multi-colored webbing which changes colors as it moves. The octopi show off their colors when threatened or anxious (right there with you, girl), and can release their blankets to evade predators.
And these ladies aren’t afraid to pack some heat. Blanket octopi can rip the tentacles off of Portuguese man o’ war and then wield the poisonous extremities as weapons! How cool is that?!
The spectacular rainbow-hued cephalopod inspired a flurry of responses on Twitter:
RELEASE
THE
BLANKET! https://t.co/xA87zOO5KW— Abie (@temptoetiam) February 13, 2020
Name me another animal with this much drama. This much fashion. This much razzle dazzle. YOU CAN’T.
(Caption: video is of a blanket octopus releasing its blanket) https://t.co/G8MIYIWrFb
— Sarah McAnulty, Ph.D (@SarahMackAttack) February 13, 2020
Octopuses are pretty great.
Please forgive me for making a blanket statement. https://t.co/fYkbV334EH
— Claire Bomkamp (@Claire_Bomkamp) February 13, 2020
A queen delights her subjects with a show… https://t.co/jqoMRDQeNC
— Cuttlefish🐙 (@Fly_Cuttlefish) February 13, 2020
*Throws Master Ball* https://t.co/oqKdcDRf7x
— Contented Independent (@ContentedIndie) February 13, 2020
Dude these octopodes are BONKERS. They use man o war tentacles as swords and the males are 1000s of times smaller than the female.https://t.co/q04W7nVGLe
— Mother of Dramaqueens (@wandringmermaid) May 24, 2019
Dude is walnut size and female is 6 foot long! pic.twitter.com/SBbHoyl7hP
— LibertyJ (@LibertyJen) February 13, 2020
When threatened, the female blanket octopus goes full Audrey Hepburn on a Paris runway. pic.twitter.com/0G1uv5Kt3X
— Pièce de Résistance (@PieceDeReSister) February 13, 2020
— Pièce de Résistance (@PieceDeReSister) February 13, 2020
When you the Queen of the Sea, and not the chicken of the sea. Watta a beauty. Would you look at that girl. pic.twitter.com/0JM83SJnah
— Garaad Iskailow.♦️📡 (@Iskailow1) February 13, 2020
The beauty of nature is truly a universal language, and maybe the one thing that humans across the globe can agree on. Now if only we could agree on enacting real change to save our planet and glorious species like this one.
Right now, the open ocean where these animals live is unprotected. We’re working to change that! The UN is negotiating protections for life on the high seas. Let’s make it happen! But we need community organizers to help. Want to be involved? DMs open! https://t.co/qkJX58qjXM
— Open Ocean Exploration (@RebeccaRHelm) February 13, 2020
(via Jellybiologist.com)
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Published: Feb 13, 2020 03:26 pm