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OCTOMUSH!

Posted on Sunday Jun 26, 2005

Words (408)

06/26/05

I saw it hidden among the rocks while we were snorkeling ?¢â??¬â?? a flash of color and a slight movement. At first I thought it was a plant of some kind, so I watched its strange movements. Then the blobish looking object unfurled and changed from a round ball, to an 8 armed little octopus! It snuck around the side of a rock and before I could blink my eyes, it changed into a jet black color to match the shadows.

I immediately screamed through my snorkel, afraid to take my eyes off the sneaky bugger, ?¢â??¬???HEEYAM DER ANNN OCTOMUSH DEER!, HEY TAMAN OCTOMUSH!?¢â??¬ Sherrell translated snorkel speak and rushed over, saying, ?¢â??¬???Don?¢â??¬â??¢t take your eyes off him!?¢â??¬ She called out to the two other couples snorkeling with us that I found an octopus, and I could hear their fins shredding water towards me.

The little guy was probably no bigger than a large softball, but he was lighting fast and could change through a rainbow of colors and patterns in an instant. As everyone gathered round they struggled to spot the 8 armed sneekster. Just as they were beginning to wonder if I?¢â??¬â??¢d been in the sun too much, he moved, eliciting a ?¢â??¬???DER HESSS! MOVN THERR LOOOK?¢â??¬

He unfolded his arms and felt around the rocks and came out into the open, changing from jet black, to red, then to green with yellow spots, then deciding better of it, yellow with green spots. Out in the full light of the sun, he changed to several shades lighter and blended in with the background rocks instantly. I was mesmerized watching him lurk around, looking for food, and changing colors at will. A fish was pestering him, and with a causal lighting fast whip of one of his 8 arms, he sent the fish a message and the fish bolted. We watched him creep around looking for urchins that were easy pickings as he went from rock to rock, until finally Sherrell had to tell me to back off and leave the little critter some space.

It was definitely, by far, the highlight of my day!

I should mention we?¢â??¬â??¢re still at Isla San Marcos in a place, dubbed by gringos, ?¢â??¬???Sweet Pea Cove?¢â??¬. It isn?¢â??¬â??¢t really a cove, it?¢â??¬â??¢s more of an open bight. Tomorrow we are going to Caleta de los Arcos (Rings Cove) where there are several sea caves, then on to Santa Rosalia!