Common octopus in sea grass in the Gulf of Lion in the Mediterranean Sea
© BIOSPHOTO/Alam
Uncommonly cool. An uncommonly cool creature
An octopus's life depends on camouflage, so don't tell this one it's sticking out like a sore tentacle. Or maybe this master of disguise is just posing for the camera? Either way, we're glad to have spotted it just in time for World Octopus Day!
The intelligence and beauty of the common octopus has been a hot topic since the documentary My Octopus Teacher won a huge audience and an Oscar. These intriguing creatures can solve tricky puzzles, squeeze into tiny holes and baffle predators through disguise and bursts of ink. But as awesome as this almost-alien creature is, don't let it hog the limelight: Today also kicks off World Cephalopod Week, celebrating not only octopuses but their relatives like squids, cuttlefish, nautiluses and even mythical monsters like the Kraken.
Related Images
Gamboa Crater, Mars
Marshland, Gloucester, Massachusetts
Humpback whales, Maui, Hawaii
Blue-green waters around the Bahamas as seen from the International Space Station
Tlikakila River delta in Lake Clark National Park, Alaska, USA
The Old Town of Rovinj, Croatia
Sea angel
Blooms of phytoplankton in the Chukchi Sea off the coast of Alaska, USA
Today on Bing
Glass octopus in the Atlantic Ocean off Cabo Verde
Blanket octopus in Palm Beach, Florida, USA
