A man walking along the beach discovered a stranded aquatic sea creature that was gasping air and struggling to survive out of the ocean. It likely had been hanging out in shallow water on the sandy beach, then was abandoned there when the tide rolled back out. The octopus became stuck in the sand until a man took notice and decided to help.
The man took a clean plastic cup, filled it with ocean water and gingerly scooped up the stranded octopus. Then he went into shallow water and tenderly scooched the octopus out of the cup and back into the ocean so as not to cause it any harm. He stood there, watching it begin to assimilate itself back to its natural habitat, quite likely grateful that it had been saved. It began breathing and wriggling around, blinking its big eyes.
But then the octopus did something shocking. The itty bitty creature spread out its tentacles and glided across the sandy ocean floor in the shallow water, creeping up to the man’s boot. Then, it gently placed two tentacles on his boot, almost as if to say “Thank you for saving my life.” The octopus stayed there, resting its tentacles on the man’s foot, then pushed itself away and glided across the sand. It remained nearby for almost an hour before heading out to deeper water. Watch this amazing creature be resuscitated and then express its gratitude to a human being. It’s incredible!