Rare Dumbo octopus flaps into livestream recording in North Pacific expedition (video)

Picture courtesy of @tulipshotbox.

An elusive Dumbo octopus, a rare marine creature with side flippers resembling the ears of the Walt Disney character Dumbo, was accidentally discovered during a livestream by the research vessel EVNautilus in the deep waters of the North Pacific Ocean.

The sighting was made at a depth of 2,665 meters by a remotely operated vehicle controlled by the Ocean Exploration Trust. The Dumbo octopus is known to live as deep as 7,000 meters underwater.

The discovery took place during the Ala ʻAumoana Kai Uli (NA154) expedition. The mission’s team is gathering data from the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument, a marine wildlife conservation area and world heritage site.

EVNautilus aim to improve understanding of deep-sea natural and cultural resources, biogeographic species distribution patterns, and the geological…