On a night dive off the coast of Romblon, Philippines, divers have discovered a pair of unusual multi-colored blanket octopuses.
One of the octopuses puts on a colorful light show for the cameraman, Joseph Elayani, as it glides through the water, shifting through the colors of the rainbow in the breathtaking high-definition video.
The various light levels from the camera are believed to be the cause of the fast color change, or it may be a defensive reaction against the potential at.ta.ckers.
The video depicts the blanket octopus going from pastel blues, violets, and purples to brilliant reds and oranges.
A second octopus appears at the conclusion of the video.
It’s challenging to capture these strange creatures on film in high definition since they’re uncommon to see in the wild.
“My adrenaline was so high that I could only think about where the camera’s buttons were, and my fingers shook,” said Joseph.
“I vividly recall the day I first heard about this octopus and being able to see it in the wild was a dream come true.”
“To my knowledge, they’re extremely uncommon to encounter in the wild,” he continued.
“I believe that video filming in a wide lens with such high quality (4K) is unprecedented.
“When the blanket is opened, it serves as a warning or a defensive mechanism against predators, and the colors respond accordingly.
“I can only remark that when we first noticed them, two octopuses glided close, and their hue was more silvery.”
