Snorkeler Finds One of World's Most Venomous Animals in His Wetsuit
The blue-ringed octopus is regarded by marine experts and lovers as one of the deadliest creatures on earth. With venom reportedly over 1,000 times more toxic than cyanide and a bite you can't even feel, it goes without saying you don't want to cross paths with one of these tiny yet beautiful animals in the wild.
Imagine one Australian snorkeler's surprise, then, when he found a blue-ringed octopus in his gear. Mat Rogerson was snorkeling for about an hour on Oct. 21 "collecting underwater rubbish like I always do." Once he got home to wash his body and his wetsuit in freshwater, something unusual caught his eye.
"Suddenly noticed a blue ring octopus crawled out of the my snorkeling gear," he recounted in a Facebook post. "Didn't feel a bite, but now read the bite is painless. I took it back to a groyne with seaweed and set it free."
As for how it got there, Rogerson surmised it was hiding in some of the trash he picked up. "Either came out of [a] black snorkel or [a] blue rubber dog ball with [a] hole in it, as other junk had no hiding places."
"I'll be far more careful what I tuck into my wetsuit in future," he concluded.
Related: Giant Pacific octopus engages in wrestling match with photographer
Blue-ringed octopuses usually live in coral reefs and rocky parts of the Pacific and Indian Oceans, but they can also be found in tide pools, seagrass, and algal beds. The bright blue rings from which they get their name glow when threatened, acting as a warning sign to potential predators to back off. Bites result in paralysis that could lead to death within minutes as a result of lack of oxygen, though human deaths are extremely rare with only three confirmed cases in recorded history.
Every time you get in the water, remember there might be as many creatures you can't see as those you can.