The Shark Who Mistook an Octopus for a Hat

In December 2023, marine biologists in New Zealand’s Hauraki Gulf came upon an unusual sight: an octopus riding on the back of a shark. The team was looking for “workups,” or feeding frenzies, according to University of Auckland professor Rochelle Constantine.

“A large metallic grey dorsal fin signalled a big shark, a short-fin mako,” she writes on the university’s website. “But wait, what was that orange patch on its head? A buoy? An injury? We launched the drone, put the GoPro in the water and saw something unforgettable: an octopus perched atop the shark’s head, clinging on with its tentacles.”

The drone caught the duo from a brief bird-eye view. Brief because the short-fin mako is the fastest shark in the sea, with a top speed of around 50 mph. The researchers witnessed the unusual pairing for just a few minutes, not long enough to determine what had brought the odd couple together.

It is particularly strange since octopuses tend to be deep-sea dwellers, while mako sharks (Isurus oxyrinchus) stick mainly to the surface. It is unclear whether the octopus glommed onto the shark for a ride or if the mako had grabbed the cephalopod for a snack. Perhaps it was a fashion statement? Wouldn’t be the first time.

The marine biologists were in no hurry to share the sharktopus story, as it was not part of any scientific paper (the episode was so fleeting there isn’t even any data to report, just a strange event). It did give Professor Constantine the opportunity to talk about conservation. 

“Shark populations are in steep decline around the world,” she writes. “They are always vulnerable to population collapse from overfishing because they are long-lived, mature slowly, and have a low reproductive rate. Yet, healthy and thriving sharks are integral to marine ecosystems.”

Drone footage of the shaktopus here. 

Photo credit: Wednesday Davis / University of Auckland