At about 60 feet below the surface off Vancouver Island, I suddenly realized that the colorful reef of anemones I was staring at was looking back at me. The giant Pacific octopus can reach up to 20 feet in length and uses pigment cells called chromatophores to change its appearance and blend with its environment. They are also about as intelligent as a three-year-old human, with most of their neurons located in their arms. As I approached, one long arm suddenly reached out to grasp my camera housing—a gesture I found charming until it swam off with its shiny new toy. A mock game of tug-of-war ensued before I was finally able to convince it to relinquish the stolen camera. Clever and curious, octopuses challenge the arrogant notion that traits like empathy, intelligence, and playfulness are exclusive to humans. #worldoctopusday #octopus #underwaterphotography All images are protected by overlai.app against Ai and are not available for Ai training.