This video clip was real life footage taken by Mario yesterday!

“Octopus’s Garden”

By Christie Ledingham and Mario Sacca

As we swam through the clear blue waters of Fourth Hole Beach, many of us witnessed the incredible beauty of Bahamian reefs for the first time. We watched while colorful fish such as grouper and sergeant majors darted in and out of coral, hiding from us and then reappearing when they realized we were only spectators. Each fish we saw was more impressive than the last. Near the end of our snorkel, everyone was getting cold and exhausted when we heard Damien and Mario call, “Quick, quick, come look at this!” As we rushed over, we could see Mario pointing to an apparently empty spot on the sand. When we looked closer, we were amazed to see an octopus. However, it took us some time to realize what it was because of its camouflage. While we watched it hide in plain sight, it picked itself up and tried to escape our inquisitive eyes. Its skin changed from speckled brown and white to pure white as it propelled itself forward over the white sand in a matter of seconds as it came to rest on another piece of coral, changing to blend in once again. We floated in awe for several minutes, impressed with its ability to disguise itself, before leaving it in peace. It was as if it was something right out of a documentary on animal planet! We felt so lucky to have the opportunity to see this incredible sight. It was our first exploration time, and we could not have hoped for a more exciting hour and a half. We are excited at the promise of many more to come.

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