Nature
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Forget your sk8er bois and surfers, there is officially a new coolest way to get around and it’s riding on the back of a shark, as demonstrated by an octopus in Hauraki Gulf near Kawau Island. Stunning footage of what’s being described as a “mysterious sight indeed” was shared by the University Of Auckland (UoA), showing the seabed-dwelling octopus riding on the back of a shortfin mako, sharks that don’t favor the deep.
The rest of this article is behind a paywall. Please sign in or subscribe to access the full content.The sighting occurred back in December 2023 as the University of Auckland’s research team was on the lookout for feeding frenzies. They spotted the tell-tale fin of a shortfin mako, but then spotted something unusual on its back: an orange blob.
A drone took to the air to investigate and when it got closer revealed that the unexpected hat was, in fact, an octopus. According to Prof Rochelle Constantine, who was present for the eye-opening observation, the team hung around to watch for 10 minutes before heading off, adding that “The octopus may have been in for quite the experience since the world’s fastest shark species can reach 50kph.”
What makes the sighting quite such – and we’re quoting UoA here – “a mysterious sight indeed” is the fact that these two animals typically occupy very different parts of the water column. Octopuses will feel their way along the seabed, hunting and seeking shelter, and rarely run the risk of flouncing out into open water where they’re at much greater risk of predation.
Shortfin mako sharks, on the other hand, are pelagic animals meaning they stick to the open sea. As Constantine mentioned, they can move pretty fast too, and while cephalopods are a big part of their diet, it’s tricky to imagine how a potential predation event winds up with you wearing your meal as a hat.
That said, it’s not the first time a top predator has tried something a bit daring when it comes to accessories. In 2024, it was announced that – after a 37-year break – wearing a salmon on your head was back in fashion for orcas.
The fad first kicked off in 1987 in the Puget Sound area of the northeast Pacific. One female kicked it off and soon multiple orcas from several pods were styling out the dead fish fascinator.
So, perhaps this is a story to be viewed from two different lenses: is this a thrill-seeking octopus with a need for speed? Or a fashion-forward shortfin mako that made you look?
I think that’s earned an, ahem, hats off to you both.
