Beached Octopus Makes A Gesture Of Thanks For Rescue

Mar 18, 2020 by apost team

It's not just for romance novels: everyone loves a walk on the beach. The feel of the sun and the gentle surf can be so relaxing. What happens when you see something sad happen?

A man walking on the beach decided to prevent something sad from happening and was rewarded for his efforts. What happened on a beach near Cyrene Reef in Singapore in 2013 is now the subject of a viral video too sweet to miss.

Pei Yan Heng noticed a beached octopus struggling to survive. The tide had gone out, and the little octopus was too far up the beach to make it to the water. Pei Yan Hang decided to help the octopus get back into the ocean.

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He used a container to scoop up the octopus and gently released it into the water. Not many people are comfortable being up close to these eight-legged creatures. Octopuses might seem slimy, but there's a lot going on in their brains. The latest research has proved octopuses are surprisingly smart, like this 2016 study from Hebrew University where octopuses figured out how to get a piece of food out of a small hole in a box.

They can communicate by camouflage, moving their arms, and squirting ink. Some research, like this study from scientists at the Seattle Aquarium, suggests that octopuses can recognize and remember other creatures, including humans.

After Pei Yan Heng got the octopus back into the water, something incredible happened: the octopus appeared to thank him! The octopus sent some bubbles up and camouflaged itself, so it matched the color of the sand.

Then it swam over to his shoe and tapped it as if to say “thanks.” This octopus seemed to have recognized who Pei Yan Hang was and what he had done.

Are you a fan of octopuses or know someone who is? Pass this story along and make their day.