In recent weeks we have seen local social media post concerning octopi sightings along the beach but out of the water. Octopuses can come ashore during evenings and early mornings. During short nocturnal forays at low tides, a few of the coast-dwelling species appear to hunt for easy pickings such as crabs and shellfish.

This occurrence is typically at night but sometimes locals are lucky enough to visible see them during the daytime of a low tide.

An octopus can actually stay alive up to a full hour out of the water. They are often seen capturing small hermit crabs along the beach.

Octopuses also have three hearts: two just to pump blood through the gills and one more to circulate it to the organs. The circulating heart stops beating while an octopus swims, which explains why these cephalopods prefer crawling.

Here are some more interesting Octopus facts:

Octopuses, along with squids and cuttlefishes, are masters of camouflage, literally changing color, brightness, pattern and even texture in a flash to hide in plain sight or advertise for a mate.

Octopus’s eight arms can perform separate tasks simultaneously thanks to a large nerve cluster, like a mini-brain, at the base of each controlling its movement.

Octopuses are smart among cephalopods, and among all invertebrates, for their large brains. They can navigate mazes, solve problems, remember, predict, use tools and take apart just about anything.