Bizarre footage has emerged of a cheeky little octopus having a sneaky peak inside a diver’s mouth.
Photographer and videographer Shane Brown had been diving off the coast of Oahu, Hawaii, this August when the curious octopus swam over to him. The animal crawled all over his face before popping into his mouth for a closer look.
The surreal video shows how the nosy octopus slinked its entire body into Shane’s mouth; tentacles wriggling from between his lips.
The octopus did not appear to be frightened by the prospect of becoming Shane’s seafood snack and seemed rather interested in the strange human creature who had dropped into his underwater kingdom.
Shane – who began filming as soon as the eight-legged sea creature entered his mouth – appeared to be incredibly calm during what must have been an incredibly weird experience.
Eventually, the over-friendly octopus squirmed its way out of Shane’s mouth before swimming on over to take a gander at another diver’s legs.
Shane – who could be seen smiling as the octopus hopped back out of his mouth – said:
At first he was climbing on my face then went in my mouth. Maybe he was nervous about something else nearby. As soon as he went in, I started recording.
I was worried he could suction too strong and might hurt the sensitive skin inside my mouth but he was gentle.
It was only in my mouth for a few seconds. I guess he realised it might not be safe if I was a predator.
While Shane may have been able to remain chilled during his impromptu dental check-up, many of those who have watched the clip online have been left a little freaked out by the octopus’ forwardness.
One person gasped:
Yikes. I probably would have fainted!
Another shuddered:
I’d be too worried that I’d get a beak bite on my tongue.
Octopuses are known to be extremely intelligent animals, renowned for their skills in escapism and camouflage.
Research findings in recent years also suggest they’re pretty sociable creatures, who are capable of ‘getting to know’ humans.
According to an article from the Library of Congress, octopuses have previously been observed holding a gaze with a human, and have even been spotted extending one of their arms as if to invite a human to explore the ocean floor.
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Jules studied English Literature with Creative Writing at Lancaster University before earning her masters in International Relations at Leiden University in The Netherlands (Hoi!). She then trained as a journalist through News Associates in Manchester. Jules has previously worked as a mental health blogger, copywriter and freelancer for various publications.