Video: Octopus hitches ride on shark's back!

An octopus rides on a shark, or, the world’s first ‘sharktopus’. Photograph: University of Auckland

Footage of an octopus riding a shark has amazed scientists and thrilled marine life enthusiasts.

In December 2023, researchers observed an orange Maori octopus gripping the back of a large shortfin mako shark in the Hauraki Gulf, off New Zealand’s northern coast. At the time, a University of Auckland research team was scanning the waters for feeding frenzies.

Marine scientist Rochelle Constantine was initially unsure what she was looking at, mistaking the orange mark on the shark’s head for something else.

“At first, I was like: ‘Is it a buoy?’” Constantine told The New York Times. “‘Is it entangled in fishing gear or had a big bite?’”

A technician deployed a drone to get a closer view. As they approached, they spotted tentacles—thus uncovering the world’s first “sharktopus.”

The Maori octopus is the largest in the southern hemisphere. “You can see it takes a fair amount of real estate on the shark’s head,” Constantine said.

Octopuses usually inhabit the seabed, a place shortfin mako sharks seldom visit, making the sighting even more unusual.

“We moved on after 10 minutes, so I can’t tell you what happened next,” Constantine told Oceanographic. “The octopus may have been in for quite the experience, though, since the world’s fastest shark species can reach 50km per hour.”

She noted that this rare encounter highlights how much of the ocean and its marine life remains a mystery, including the vital and diverse role sharks play in the ecosystem.

“The ‘sharktopus’ encounter is a reminder of the wonders of the ocean,” Constantine said. “One of the best things about being a marine scientist is that you never know what you might see next in the sea. By supporting conservation initiatives, we can help to ensure that such extraordinary moments keep happening.”