A Real-Life Sharktopus: Scientists Capture Footage of Octopus Riding Shark’s Back

It’s the aquatic buddy comedy movie we never knew we needed. Scientists in New Zealand have released footage of an octopus appearing to ride the back of a shortfin mako shark. Researchers at University of Auckland documented the real-life sharktopus during a December 2023 expedition in the Hauraki Gulf near Kawau Island. The sighting was unusual for several reasons, not the least of which is that octopuses aren’t known for hanging out near the water’s surface. Rochelle Constantine, a professor in the School of Biological Sciences, detailed her team’s strange encounter in an article published by the university last week. The researchers were studying the area as part of an ongoing project to monitor the animals of the Gulf, including sharks. And that’s when they spotted the pair. “A large metallic grey dorsal fin signaled a big shark, a short-fin mako. But wait, what was that orange patch on its head? A buoy? An injury? We launched the drone, put the GoPro in the water and saw someth ... Read full article.