Octopus and giant seal battle to the death
Caught on camera: Tourists in New Zealand capture footage of a giant seal and octopus fighting to the death
A kayaking guide and a group of tourists witnessed an incredible life-and-death fight between a massive fur seal and a massive octopus in New Zealand earlier this week.
The epic confrontation took place at South Bay, on New Zealand’s South Island on June 20, the New Zealand Herald reports.
Conner Stapley, a guide with Kaikoura Kayaks, saw thrashing on the surface of the water and soon realized that the large male seal was attacking the octopus. Stapley and the three tourists he was accompanying got front row seats to the gruesome battle, which was won by the hungry seal.
Incredible footage shows the 265lb fur seal battling the octopus. (Caters News Agency)
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The seal may have dragged the octopus up from the ocean floor, according to the New Zealand Herald, which notes that the giant mollusk ended up as the seal’s lunch.
Other groups from Kaikoura Kayaks have witnessed reportedly seen similar scraps, which can last up to 20 minutes.
Stapley recorded Tuesday’s grisly tussle on his iPhone, according to the Mirror. The 265 lb. seal ripped the octopus apart leg by leg.
The seal won the epic encounter with the octopus. (Caters News Agency)
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“This octopus had no chance really. Seals love eating them and will eat up to 7kg of octopus a day, around here it is a staple part of their diet,” Stapley said.
The footage has generated plenty of buzz.
The fight took place at South Bay on New Zealand's South Island. (Caters News Agency)
The Mirror reports that this is not the first time that a battle between a seal and an octopus has been caught on camera. In 2015, a harbor seal and a giant Pacific octopus were filmed fighting off Ogden Point in Canada. That battle was also won by the seal.
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Incredible footage from other animals has also been captured. Last year, for example, stunning drone footage from a whale watch in California revealed a group of offshore killer whales eating a still-living shark.
Earlier this year, an “unprecedented” orca hunting frenzy was also caught on film.
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