Loading...

You're not connected to the Internet. Please check your connection.

Clips from My Octopus Teacher

I'd come in at the end of a whole drama.

"I'd come in at the end of a whole drama."

My Octopus Teacher

You think, "What on earth is this animal doing?"

"You think, "What on earth is this animal doing?""

My Octopus Teacher

And I think she was a little bit afraid of me,

"And I think she was a little bit afraid of me,"

My Octopus Teacher

so she lifted this incredibly slippery...

"so she lifted this incredibly slippery..."

My Octopus Teacher

piece of algae that you can hardly hold with your hands

"piece of algae that you can hardly hold with your hands"

My Octopus Teacher

and just wrapped it in this extraordinary cloak around her

"and just wrapped it in this extraordinary cloak around her"

My Octopus Teacher

and then stared at me out of the little gap.

"and then stared at me out of the little gap."

My Octopus Teacher

And then, boom, you know, she was gone.

"And then, boom, you know, she was gone."

My Octopus Teacher

It's a hard thing to explain,

"It's a hard thing to explain,"

My Octopus Teacher

but sometimes you just get a feeling,

"but sometimes you just get a feeling,"

My Octopus Teacher

and you know

"and you know"

My Octopus Teacher

there's-- there's something to this creature that's very unusual.

"there's-- there's something to this creature that's very unusual."

My Octopus Teacher

There's something to learn here.

"There's something to learn here."

My Octopus Teacher

There's something special about her.

"There's something special about her."

My Octopus Teacher

And then I had this crazy idea.

"And then I had this crazy idea."

My Octopus Teacher

What happens if I just went every day?

"What happens if I just went every day?"

My Octopus Teacher

What happens if I... I never missed a day?

"What happens if I... I never missed a day?"

My Octopus Teacher

And, initially, she was clearly being affected by my presence,

"And, initially, she was clearly being affected by my presence,"

My Octopus Teacher

so I thought, "I'll leave the camera there,

"so I thought, "I'll leave the camera there,"

My Octopus Teacher

and then that will record her going about her business."

"and then that will record her going about her business.""

My Octopus Teacher

She sees this shiny new thing in the forest.

"She sees this shiny new thing in the forest."

My Octopus Teacher

Coming at it with a shield,

"Coming at it with a shield,"

My Octopus Teacher

just in case it attacked, and put up the shield.

"just in case it attacked, and put up the shield."

My Octopus Teacher

This is something different. This is interesting.

"This is something different. This is interesting."

My Octopus Teacher

Touching it, feeling it, tasting it.

"Touching it, feeling it, tasting it."

My Octopus Teacher

If she was in a playful mood, you couldn't leave it there for too long.

"If she was in a playful mood, you couldn't leave it there for too long."

My Octopus Teacher

She'd just pull the thing over.

"She'd just pull the thing over."

My Octopus Teacher

It took going in every day to really get to know her environment better.

"It took going in every day to really get to know her environment better."

My Octopus Teacher

Initially, it all just seems like much of the same thing.

"Initially, it all just seems like much of the same thing."

My Octopus Teacher

But then, after a while, you see all the different types of the forest.

"But then, after a while, you see all the different types of the forest."

My Octopus Teacher

You get the old-growth forest.

"You get the old-growth forest."

My Octopus Teacher

You get the forest with a lot of different algae growing in the bottom.

"You get the forest with a lot of different algae growing in the bottom."

My Octopus Teacher

You get the misty forest.

"You get the misty forest."

My Octopus Teacher

As I started to map the environment around her den,

"As I started to map the environment around her den,"

My Octopus Teacher

it was shocking to see small caves really close to her,

"it was shocking to see small caves really close to her,"

My Octopus Teacher

packed with pyjama sharks.

"packed with pyjama sharks."

My Octopus Teacher

And they really are her most serious predator.

"And they really are her most serious predator."

My Octopus Teacher

Their skin is striped. That's why they're called a pyjama shark.

"Their skin is striped. That's why they're called a pyjama shark."

My Octopus Teacher

They're not visual predators.

"They're not visual predators."

My Octopus Teacher

But they have an incredible sense of smell.

"But they have an incredible sense of smell."

My Octopus Teacher

And they are particularly aggressive.

"And they are particularly aggressive."

My Octopus Teacher

They can shove their noses into a small crack.

"They can shove their noses into a small crack."

My Octopus Teacher

So they are deadly little octopus predators.

"So they are deadly little octopus predators."

My Octopus Teacher

And I was thinking, "Well, how long before something happens with these animals?"

"And I was thinking, "Well, how long before something happens with these animals?""

My Octopus Teacher

After visiting her more and more and more,

"After visiting her more and more and more,"

My Octopus Teacher

there was a definite moment where...

"there was a definite moment where..."

My Octopus Teacher

that fear had subsided tremendously.

"that fear had subsided tremendously."

My Octopus Teacher

She'd see big movement,

"She'd see big movement,"

My Octopus Teacher

and she'd be slightly afraid and then look, "Oh, it's him."

"and she'd be slightly afraid and then look, "Oh, it's him.""

My Octopus Teacher

And she'd come out and be very curious.

"And she'd come out and be very curious."

My Octopus Teacher

Very interested, very curious, but not taking stupid chances.

"Very interested, very curious, but not taking stupid chances."

My Octopus Teacher

Keeping all the other arms attached to the den

"Keeping all the other arms attached to the den"

My Octopus Teacher

and the suckers in place.

"and the suckers in place."

My Octopus Teacher

And then it just happens.

"And then it just happens."

My Octopus Teacher

I put my hand out a tiny bit.

"I put my hand out a tiny bit."

My Octopus Teacher

[gentle music plays]

"[gentle music plays]"

My Octopus Teacher

Something happens when that animal makes contact.

"Something happens when that animal makes contact."

My Octopus Teacher

But, at some point, you're gonna have to breathe.

"But, at some point, you're gonna have to breathe."

My Octopus Teacher

So you've got to very gently

"So you've got to very gently"

My Octopus Teacher

prize off those suckers

"prize off those suckers"

My Octopus Teacher

without disturbing her,

"without disturbing her,"

My Octopus Teacher

so that you can actually go up and take a breath.

"so that you can actually go up and take a breath."

My Octopus Teacher

By far the most powerful

"By far the most powerful"

My Octopus Teacher

is when it comes out the den

"is when it comes out the den"

My Octopus Teacher

because that's when you know there's full trust.

"because that's when you know there's full trust."

My Octopus Teacher

There's no holding the arms back just in case I have to pull back.

"There's no holding the arms back just in case I have to pull back."

My Octopus Teacher

It's like, "I totally trust this human,

"It's like, "I totally trust this human,"

My Octopus Teacher

and I'm coming out of the den,

"and I'm coming out of the den,"

My Octopus Teacher

and I'm gonna go about my business."

"and I'm gonna go about my business.""

My Octopus Teacher

I started to see pretty extraordinary things.

"I started to see pretty extraordinary things."

My Octopus Teacher

They can look spiky. They can look smooth.

"They can look spiky. They can look smooth."

My Octopus Teacher

Grow horns on their heads.

"Grow horns on their heads."

My Octopus Teacher

They can match color, texture, pattern, skin.

"They can match color, texture, pattern, skin."

My Octopus Teacher

It's beautiful.

"It's beautiful."

My Octopus Teacher

Most of the time, she's jetting or crawling or swimming.

"Most of the time, she's jetting or crawling or swimming."

My Octopus Teacher

But occasionally,

"But occasionally,"

My Octopus Teacher

two legs come out.

"two legs come out."

My Octopus Teacher

She walks.

"She walks."

My Octopus Teacher

And off she goes, striding away,

"And off she goes, striding away,"

My Octopus Teacher

walking bipedally.

"walking bipedally."

My Octopus Teacher

She puts her body into this strange posture that kind of looks like a rock.

"She puts her body into this strange posture that kind of looks like a rock."

My Octopus Teacher

And then two of those arms underneath slowly moving,

"And then two of those arms underneath slowly moving,"

My Octopus Teacher

so the rock is just slowly moving away.

"so the rock is just slowly moving away."

My Octopus Teacher

And then she changes

"And then she changes"

My Octopus Teacher

into this extraordinary, wobbly, flowy old lady in a dress.

"into this extraordinary, wobbly, flowy old lady in a dress."

My Octopus Teacher

Perhaps she's trying to mimic

"Perhaps she's trying to mimic"

My Octopus Teacher

kelp or algae moving in the swell...

"kelp or algae moving in the swell..."

My Octopus Teacher

and, at the same time, is slowly moving away.

"and, at the same time, is slowly moving away."

My Octopus Teacher

And this is how she works.

"And this is how she works."

My Octopus Teacher

This incredible creativity to deceive.

"This incredible creativity to deceive."

My Octopus Teacher

An octopus is essentially a snail that's lost its shell in evolution.

"An octopus is essentially a snail that's lost its shell in evolution."

My Octopus Teacher

A very fragile, liquid, soft animal

"A very fragile, liquid, soft animal"

My Octopus Teacher

that relies on tremendous intelligence.

"that relies on tremendous intelligence."

My Octopus Teacher

She's got no mother or father to teach her anything. She's alone.

"She's got no mother or father to teach her anything. She's alone."

My Octopus Teacher

'Cause you've got all these different types of predators, all hunting her.

"'Cause you've got all these different types of predators, all hunting her."

My Octopus Teacher

So, over millions of years, she's had to...

"So, over millions of years, she's had to..."

My Octopus Teacher

come up with the most incredible methods to deceive them.

"come up with the most incredible methods to deceive them."

My Octopus Teacher

And she's got to learn fast because

"And she's got to learn fast because"

My Octopus Teacher

she's only got just over a year to live.

"she's only got just over a year to live."

My Octopus Teacher

When you're diving alone, everything about my kit has to be perfect.

"When you're diving alone, everything about my kit has to be perfect."

My Octopus Teacher

And I've gotta be prepared for all eventualities.

"And I've gotta be prepared for all eventualities."

My Octopus Teacher

I can't be fiddling around. It's gotta be instinctive.

"I can't be fiddling around. It's gotta be instinctive."

My Octopus Teacher

But, at that point, I was making a lot of mistakes.

"But, at that point, I was making a lot of mistakes."

My Octopus Teacher

One day, she was following me.

"One day, she was following me."

My Octopus Teacher

And that's the most incredible thing, is to be followed by an octopus.

"And that's the most incredible thing, is to be followed by an octopus."

My Octopus Teacher

You know, you're just backing away, moving backwards,

"You know, you're just backing away, moving backwards,"

My Octopus Teacher

and this incredible animal is coming towards you.

"and this incredible animal is coming towards you."

My Octopus Teacher

And there's not a lot of fear in it at all.

"And there's not a lot of fear in it at all."

My Octopus Teacher

It's curious, and there's trust,

"It's curious, and there's trust,"

My Octopus Teacher

and it's like this fantastic feeling.

"and it's like this fantastic feeling."

My Octopus Teacher

[gentle piano music plays]

"[gentle piano music plays]"

My Octopus Teacher

And then, bam!

"And then, bam!"

My Octopus Teacher

I dropped one of my lenses,

"I dropped one of my lenses,"

My Octopus Teacher

and that thing falling quickly just startles that animal.

"and that thing falling quickly just startles that animal."

My Octopus Teacher

And then it turns and rushes, and it's got a huge fright.

"And then it turns and rushes, and it's got a huge fright."

My Octopus Teacher

And you just... you wanna kick yourself, because it's, you know...

"And you just... you wanna kick yourself, because it's, you know..."

My Octopus Teacher

That could have ended in the most incredible interaction and deep trust,

"That could have ended in the most incredible interaction and deep trust,"

My Octopus Teacher

and you've ruined it.

"and you've ruined it."

My Octopus Teacher

Now, you know, have you ruined it forever?

"Now, you know, have you ruined it forever?"

My Octopus Teacher

Uh, is that animal ever gonna trust you?

"Uh, is that animal ever gonna trust you?"

My Octopus Teacher

Show more clips