In an age where we’re so hyper-aware of the garbage in our oceans, this is a small beacon of hope.
Diver convince octopus to trade his plastic cup for a seashell pic.twitter.com/G22glkEJfj
— Whoa City (@whoacity) February 20, 2020
Veined octopi are known for making homes and protection out of objects–but sadly, this also includes trash that may be floating around or sitting on the ocean floor. Because the plastic is so weak and transparent, it leaves them vulnerable to predators who will also ingest the plastic, perpetuating the plastic problem further.
A diver named Pall Sigurdsson and his buddies were diving in Lembeh, Indonesia, when they came across this little guy, plastic cup and all. It took nearly all of their air supply to be able to convince the little octopus to switch out his cup for a seashell!
The octopus gingerly reaches out towards the shells with a tentacle, as if inspecting, before retracting if he doesn’t like it. Then, finally, he accepts the last one, earning him more protection against predators and one less piece of plastic in the ocean.
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