Movie Monday: My Octopus Teacher

This week’s movie is the 2020 documentary My Octopus Teacher

PG: Released in 2020: Available on Netflix

My Octopus Teacher follows filmmaker and producer Craig Foster and his special relationship with a wild common octopus and their adventures in a Kelp Forest off the southern tip of Africa. The young octopus teaches him not only about life in the kelp forest but how to overcome difficulties and thrive. Starting in 2010 Craig began free diving in a Kelp Forest and eventually an octopus captured his interest, he began visiting her den day after day and tracking her movements for moths. Eventually he won the animal’s trust and their relationship flourished into the common understanding between two incredibly different species. Foster described the impact on his life by the small 8 tentacled creature. By the end of the film the viewer shares the connection between the two animals. Through amazing videography and detailed narration by Craig himself the film makes you feel as if you are in the Kelp Forest with them. This is the perfect story about overcoming challenges and recovering a better person or octopus. I would recommend My Octopus Teacher to anyone who wants to enjoy the discovery about octopuses and the secrets they hold.

Octopuses are incredibly smart creatures; they are known for their 8 arms and camouflage ability. They are very well adapted at maneuvering around their environment, their soft body allows them to fit in any area as long as their beak fits (Their beak is the only hard part of an octopus’ body). Their mastery of camouflage has evolved to provide them with a large array of tricks to avoid would be attackers. They can match colors and textures of their surroundings easily allowing them to hide quickly. They can also escape attackers by shooting themselves forward by expelling water from a muscular tube called a siphon. In addition, they can release a cloud of black ink which obscures their figure and dulls the predator’s sense of smell. An octopus’s arms include hundreds of suckers, each of which have the ability to move independently due to a bundle od neurons that act as a brain, letting them touch, smell and manipulate objects. There are around 300 species of octopus and they are found in every ocean, most live on the seafloor but some like the paper nautilus drift close to the surface. The largest species of octopus, the Giant Pacific Octopus lives right in our backyard in the PNW.

PS. In the film the diver often touches the octopus and other species, as a diver please do not touch fish as you could accidentally harm them, remember only leave bubbles 🙂