'I could have died' - this man couldn't believe what he found inside his driving gear

Updated on December 7, 2023 at 5:25 PM

On his return home from a dive, an Australian diver was surprised to discover a small sea creature in his equipment. An encounter that could have gone very badly.

diving sea ocean creature fish octopus venomous

Australian snorkeler Mat Rogerson was lucky to say the least. On his way back from a sea trip near Perth, where he was collecting marine litter, he realized that a small octopus was wandering among his belongings. Amazed, he soon realized that he had just escaped death.

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Hapalochlaena maculosa

In the world of marine animals, octopuses undoubtedly enjoy a certain amount of sympathy. Certainly more so than sharks. Yet, far from being the killing machines that popular culture regularly portrays, they continue to get a bad press. But imagining that all octopuses are peaceful, harmless animals is a serious mistake that can cost lives.

The Hapalochlaena maculosa, or blue-ringed octopus, is an animal found on the Australian coast. It is without doubt a cephalopod to be wary of. Something this ocean lover is well aware of. So it came as no surprise when he discovered one among the diving equipment he had just removed! The Australian diver explained:

After returning home to wash my wetsuit, fins, mask and snorkel in fresh water, I suddenly noticed a blue-ringed octopus clinging to my mask.

Mortal beauty

Despite its pleasant appearance, the blue-ringed octopus is one of the most dangerous marine animals in the world! Its venom, tetrodotoxin, is neurotoxic, and far more powerful than cyanide. The result is paralysis, respiratory distress and death in a matter of minutes. If marine biologists agree that this rather discreet animal only attacks when it feels threatened, Mat Rogerson's story is certainly proof of this.

Many people, including the diver himself, believe that the blue-ringed octopus must have been inside one of the pieces of waste collected. Following the discovery, the little cephalopod was released back into the sea, near a seaweed forest, an environment it greatly appreciates.