I’m scared of water. I’m not a swimmer, would rather spend time away from beaches in the summertime and when I’m on vacation and prefer to be as close to dry land as much as possible. It’s a fear that I have from when I was younger and it’s not something that seems to be going away anytime soon.
But, despite my dislike of lakes and seas, I’m highly intrigued by the life that lives underwater. Sea animals are so interesting to me. I love watching them go about their lives in the deepest ends of the ocean, not to mention that their homes look beautiful with the reef and coral.
Dr. David Gallo is an oceanographer known for his extraordinary work aimed at expanding human knowledge of the sea. He’s been known to show extra enthusiasm regarding deep sea exploration and is a pioneer in the field – he’s a member of James Cameron’s Deep Ocean Task Force, how cool is that?
In David’s Ted Talk “Underwater Astonishments,” he takes the audience deep below the surface of the water and discusses facts about some of the stranger sea life no one knows much about.
He divulges how we’ve only managed to discover 3% of what’s out in the oceans, and how we’ve managed to scale the world’s biggest mountain and deepest valleys. However, when it comes to what lies far beneath, a place where we once thought no life existed but is, in fact, teeming with life, goes to show that we don’t know much at all.
In the final part of his talk, he shows us probably the most astonishing clip of them all: the camouflaging octopus. He mentions that the deep sea is still being explored, but there is plenty to learn in the shallow. Take this particular octopus, the Octopus Vulgaris, found in the Cayman Islands. The camera reveals what appears to be an ordinary cluster of algae – only, it’s not. It’s a cleverly disguised octopus that is able to take on the texture, color, brightness, and pattern of its surroundings.
The startled octopus frantically jets off, squirting ink, and makes himself appear big by spreading out his arms as a way to ward off predators. David plays this clip in slow motion backward, and it’s captivating. This truly is an astonishing creature.
Watch the clip below. It’s almost unbelievable until you see it. Mother Nature sure does have a solution to everything.
