Unlike the past couple of days, I didn’t see any dramatic hunting or eating behaviour today, but I did have a chance to spend some quality time with a very active mimic octopus (Thaumoctopus mimicus).
In case you’re not familiar with them, these talented octopuses are known for their ability to mimic other animals, perhaps as a means of camouflage or self-defence. In any case, they have an incredible repertoire, and are a perennial favourite among divers visiting Lembeh.
If you visit Lembeh and are fortunate enough to see one of these incredible cephalopods, please keep in mind that they are bottom dwellers…meaning that they most likely don’t enjoy being thrown into the water column, where they’re out of their element and vulnerable to predators.
Think of it this way: If some strange being came down to earth, picked you up, and repeatedly threw you into the air to take pictures of you…I doubt you’d be too happy about it.
Wow another cool one Tony, you’re having a good run, keep it up.
Cheers GD
Tony, so you have never seen a Mimic shoot up into the water column when two photographers descend on it simultaneously? I find that hard to believe actually, I have seen it many times… Guests (ie photographers)have a tendency to dogpile when they see a mimic and it results in said mimic swimming straight up around 75% of the time with absolutely no physical prodding from sticks or people, just natural escape instinct when surrounded by a bunch of morons with no diving or photography etiquette
the first photo is awesome
I have also seen dive guides in Lembeh prod, poke and lift them into the water with their sticks. For me I think that the majority of shots we see are “helped”. I think that the mid-water mimic is the new inflated pufferfish, could happen naturally…
Really like the light on the first one.
We have similar issues here in Australia particularly with Weedy Sea Dragon being forced up to get a clear water/pier/sun backdrop.
Very annoying as those guy’s are apparently particularly susceptible to damage from such movement.
I used to look at all those shots and conclude the Weedy was forced up until one day one actually swam over me!
And I used to think for the Weedy’s egg shots, the Weedy was being held, until last Sunday when one came to me and sat at minimum focus distance from my lens for a minute.
( http://blog.aengusm.com/?p=342 )
All of that said, those were one off’s over many years…I’m still confident that 95% of similar shots have foul play involved
My 2 cents…
Aengus
Yes, agree with all of you, but the infrequency of the event doesn’t correlate with the frequency of the images. So, either the principle of statistics is incorrect, or most images are staged. I’ll go with probability most of the time (pun intended)
AW!!! That must hurt!
I totally agree with not throwing-octupuses-in-the-air-so-I-can-get-an-award-winning-shot-and-become-famous…
So true Tony, so true.
Cheryl – it is indeed quite AW-ful to do such a thing!
I know quite a few people who manipulate a large percentage of their macro and fish shots. They see someone else doing it, and then they start doing it. I’ve always preferred in-situ photographs myself. Anyways, nice post Tony.