Shark researchers at Australia's University of Auckland were surprised recently to see an orange octopus perched atop a mako shark. They sent up their drone and captured a delightful if mystifying ...

The octopus in question was no lightweight. It was a Māori octopus, the largest octopus species in the Southern Hemisphere.

The team was off the Northern coast of New Zealand in the Hauraki Gulf in 2023 when they spotted a shortfin mako shark with an orange blob attached to its back. “The ‘sharktopus’ encounter ...

While on a research trip in December 2023, marine scientists observed an octopus attached to the head of a shortfin mako shark. The sighting was off the northern coast of the North Island of New ...

That wasn’t the case for this octopus. In 2023, scientists spotted an eight-armed cephalopod riding on a 10-foot mako shark—and their video of the bizarre journey is now available to view.

The team spotted an orange mass on a Mako shark’s head and sent in a pair of cameras for a closer look. They then realized the odd blob was a coiled octopus hitching a ride on the shark.

The sighting off the coast of Kawau Island in New Zealand's Hauraki Gulf saw a Maori octopus hitch a ride on a shortfin mako shark, clinging to the predator's head like a jockey. Drone footage of the ...

The team spotted an orange mass on a Mako shark’s head and sent in a pair of cameras for a closer look. They then realized the odd blob was a coiled octopus hitching a ride on the shark. The ...

Sometimes we all need a little help. And it can come from unlikely places. Carla Mascarenhas is the NSW correspondent covering breaking news, state politics and investigations. She is based in ...