When bathers strolled along Cannon Beach in Oregon (USA) earlier this month, they spotted a slimy creature on the floor. The animal, which was wandering in the sand, needed help to return to the sea because it could not move. Report with information from the Dodo portal.
The animal caught in the sand was an octopus. Noticing the slimy creature underground, the bathers immediately realized something was wrong and decided to seek help. Members contacted a team of wildlife experts from the Haystack Rock Awareness Program (HRAP) and quickly got to the scene. However, they were shocked by the octopus’ position.
“Finding a giant Pacific octopus, I have to say, is quite a rare find,” Mylasia Miklas, HRAP communications coordinator, told The Dodo. “It’s something you don’t see every day.”
After the rescuers analyzed the possibility that the tide could bring the octopus back to the sea, they got ready. According to National Geographic, the Pacific giant species is considered the largest on earth. Animals are clever and used to using special pigment cells in their skin for color changing and camouflage.
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Animal rescue and return to natural habitat
The rescue team used their hands and a plastic beach board to lure the octopus into the waves, taking care to touch it as little as possible. After a while, the animal managed to swim and return to the water.
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“You can see the excitement, joy and enthusiasm of the HRAP team in protecting marine life and how quickly they focused on helping the octopus get back to the deep waters,” Cannon Beach Experience wrote in a post on Facebook about rescue.
Thanks to the contact of the bathers and the teamwork of specialists, the octopus followed its natural habitat.