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Octopus are usually found lurking under rocks or in seaweed, not out in the open. While I was crossing a 2 metre wide gap beteen rocks with a depth of no more than 200mm this wheke was happily cruising along until we both spotted each other and froze. After eyeballing each other, shooting off black ink and camera shots, we decided that we were not threats to each other so we hung out for about an hour until the sun dropped below the cliffs and I knew I had to head home. Such an honour to be able to spend quality time with an amazing creature that is apparently rarely seen. Probably because they don't live in the city or the bush *LOL* The first and last photos are not cropped, but show how easily octupus can be overlooked if you do not know that they look like, and why they are refered to as masters of camoflague.
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Octopus are usually found lurking under rocks or in seaweed, not out in the open. While I was crossing a 2 metre wide gap beteen rocks with a depth of no more than 200mm this wheke was happily cruising along until we both spotted each other and froze. After eyeballing each other, shooting off black ink and camera shots, we decided that we were not threats to each other so we hung out for about an hour until the sun dropped below the cliffs and I knew I had to head home. Such an honour to be able to spend quality time with an amazing creature that is apparently rarely seen. Probably because they don't live in the city or the bush *LOL* The first and last photos are not cropped, but show how easily octupus can be overlooked if you do not know that they look like, and why they are refered to as masters of camoflague.
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Swimming along in a tidal rock pool heading for a rock to rest under. So finally you can see a different view of a wheke @pjd1 :D
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Swimming along in a tidal rock pool heading for a rock to rest under. So finally you can see a different view of a wheke @pjd1 :D
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Swimming along in a tidal rock pool heading for a rock to rest under. So finally you can see a different view of a wheke @pjd1 :D
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Seen climbing up rocks at Henderson Bay
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Seen climbing up rocks at Henderson Bay
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Seen climbing up rocks at Henderson Bay
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This one is very different from all of the ones that I have seen around here, although this was spotted in a different area of the beach. The difference is the colour, where all of the others are a very brown / red colouration, this one was alot paler, more white. Underneath the tentacles it was a beige colour instead of the usual strong brown / orange. Amazing to watch as it breathes and the hole opens up and I could see, what I thought were ribs inside. Unfortunately I could not get the camera in the right place to get a photo of those! Sadly cannot add videos as I have a good video of it breathing and moving rocks. I think this is the right species but I am sure @clinton can help comfirm the ID :)
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This one is very different from all of the ones that I have seen around here, although this was spotted in a different area of the beach. The difference is the colour, where all of the others are a very brown / red colouration, this one was alot paler, more white. Underneath the tentacles it was a beige colour instead of the usual strong brown / orange. Amazing to watch as it breathes and the hole opens up and I could see, what I thought were ribs inside. Unfortunately I could not get the camera in the right place to get a photo of those! Sadly cannot add videos as I have a good video of it breathing and moving rocks. I think this is the right species but I am sure @clinton can help comfirm the ID :)
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This one is very different from all of the ones that I have seen around here, although this was spotted in a different area of the beach. The difference is the colour, where all of the others are a very brown / red colouration, this one was alot paler, more white. Underneath the tentacles it was a beige colour instead of the usual strong brown / orange. Amazing to watch as it breathes and the hole opens up and I could see, what I thought were ribs inside. Unfortunately I could not get the camera in the right place to get a photo of those! Sadly cannot add videos as I have a good video of it breathing and moving rocks. I think this is the right species but I am sure @clinton can help comfirm the ID :)
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This one is very different from all of the ones that I have seen around here, although this was spotted in a different area of the beach. The difference is the colour, where all of the others are a very brown / red colouration, this one was alot paler, more white. Underneath the tentacles it was a beige colour instead of the usual strong brown / orange. Amazing to watch as it breathes and the hole opens up and I could see, what I thought were ribs inside. Unfortunately I could not get the camera in the right place to get a photo of those! Sadly cannot add videos as I have a good video of it breathing and moving rocks. I think this is the right species but I am sure @clinton can help comfirm the ID :)
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This one is very different from all of the ones that I have seen around here, although this was spotted in a different area of the beach. The difference is the colour, where all of the others are a very brown / red colouration, this one was alot paler, more white. Underneath the tentacles it was a beige colour instead of the usual strong brown / orange. Amazing to watch as it breathes and the hole opens up and I could see, what I thought were ribs inside. Unfortunately I could not get the camera in the right place to get a photo of those! Sadly cannot add videos as I have a good video of it breathing and moving rocks. I think this is the right species but I am sure @clinton can help comfirm the ID :)
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This one is very different from all of the ones that I have seen around here, although this was spotted in a different area of the beach. The difference is the colour, where all of the others are a very brown / red colouration, this one was alot paler, more white. Underneath the tentacles it was a beige colour instead of the usual strong brown / orange. Amazing to watch as it breathes and the hole opens up and I could see, what I thought were ribs inside. Unfortunately I could not get the camera in the right place to get a photo of those! Sadly cannot add videos as I have a good video of it breathing and moving rocks. I think this is the right species but I am sure @clinton can help comfirm the ID :)
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This one is very different from all of the ones that I have seen around here, although this was spotted in a different area of the beach. The difference is the colour, where all of the others are a very brown / red colouration, this one was alot paler, more white. Underneath the tentacles it was a beige colour instead of the usual strong brown / orange. Amazing to watch as it breathes and the hole opens up and I could see, what I thought were ribs inside. Unfortunately I could not get the camera in the right place to get a photo of those! Sadly cannot add videos as I have a good video of it breathing and moving rocks. I think this is the right species but I am sure @clinton can help comfirm the ID :)
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This little wheke didn't even bother to move when we were collecting seaweed around it. Just carried on sleeping!
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This little wheke didn't even bother to move when we were collecting seaweed around it. Just carried on sleeping!
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Found a new rock pool that did not have wave movement to explore that is between rock walls so climbed down (about 1.2m) then wiggled into the crevase and sat to see everything there was to see and low and behold, there was a wheke. He was totally relaxed and after taking photos I stayed there, making sure to not disturb him as there was only about 600mm from rock wall to rock wall. Would have been there for about an hour photographing and enjoying the moana. Gave a couple of tourists a shock when I popped out of the rocks *LOL* The white eyes are the main indicator for this species. No wheke were poked, prodded, picked up or disturbed in anyway with the making of this obs and all of the obs from this area.
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Found a new rock pool that did not have wave movement to explore that is between rock walls so climbed down (about 1.2m) then wiggled into the crevase and sat to see everything there was to see and low and behold, there was a wheke. He was totally relaxed and after taking photos I stayed there, making sure to not disturb him as there was only about 600mm from rock wall to rock wall. Would have been there for about an hour photographing and enjoying the moana. Gave a couple of tourists a shock when I popped out of the rocks *LOL* The white eyes are the main indicator for this species. No wheke were poked, prodded, picked up or disturbed in anyway with the making of this obs and all of the obs from this area.
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Found a new rock pool that did not have wave movement to explore that is between rock walls so climbed down (about 1.2m) then wiggled into the crevase and sat to see everything there was to see and low and behold, there was a wheke. He was totally relaxed and after taking photos I stayed there, making sure to not disturb him as there was only about 600mm from rock wall to rock wall. Would have been there for about an hour photographing and enjoying the moana. Gave a couple of tourists a shock when I popped out of the rocks *LOL* The white eyes are the main indicator for this species. No wheke were poked, prodded, picked up or disturbed in anyway with the making of this obs and all of the obs from this area.
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Found a new rock pool that did not have wave movement to explore that is between rock walls so climbed down (about 1.2m) then wiggled into the crevase and sat to see everything there was to see and low and behold, there was a wheke. He was totally relaxed and after taking photos I stayed there, making sure to not disturb him as there was only about 600mm from rock wall to rock wall. Would have been there for about an hour photographing and enjoying the moana. Gave a couple of tourists a shock when I popped out of the rocks *LOL* The white eyes are the main indicator for this species. No wheke were poked, prodded, picked up or disturbed in anyway with the making of this obs and all of the obs from this area.
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Found a new rock pool that did not have wave movement to explore that is between rock walls so climbed down (about 1.2m) then wiggled into the crevase and sat to see everything there was to see and low and behold, there was a wheke. He was totally relaxed and after taking photos I stayed there, making sure to not disturb him as there was only about 600mm from rock wall to rock wall. Would have been there for about an hour photographing and enjoying the moana. Gave a couple of tourists a shock when I popped out of the rocks *LOL* The white eyes are the main indicator for this species. No wheke were poked, prodded, picked up or disturbed in anyway with the making of this obs and all of the obs from this area.
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