Overview

• University of Auckland researchers filmed a Maori octopus clinging to a shortfin mako shark during a December 2023 expedition in New Zealand's Hauraki Gulf.
• The interaction, lasting about 10 minutes, was captured using drones and underwater cameras, with the footage publicly released in March 2025.
• This rare event is puzzling as octopuses typically dwell on the seabed, while mako sharks inhabit open ocean waters, making such encounters highly unusual.
• Scientists speculate the octopus may have been evading predation or opportunistically hitching a ride, though the outcome of the interaction remains unknown.
• The sighting has drawn attention to marine conservation efforts and the need to protect endangered species like the shortfin mako shark.