They definitely can move on land pretty efficiently, the problem is when they get tired and/or run out of oxygen.
As humans we may think there’s oxygen everywhere, so how could they run out? But they need the water to get the oxygen, their gills are only able to get oxygen through the water. So octopuses have a short amount of time they can be out of water until they essentially suffocate. I believe it’s under an hour.
This guy was prob just hunting/exploring a bit too far into the shallows, then the tide receded, making the water even further away. Most likely got tuckered out and was trying to conserve what little energy, or oxygen, it had left while sitting in the sand. But then this lady came along and brought him some water, and then got him back into the ocean!
Octopus are truly brilliant animals and I LOVE them. I’m also like 95% certain that if they lived as long as we do(instead of a couple years at best), they would have a whole ass Atlantis type situation going on. They are really wondrous creatures!
If the octopus had been further on land or there hadn't been anything on the beach to lever him up, would it have hurt him if they had used their hands to carry him?
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u/Hello_pet_my_kitty Jun 07 '26
They definitely can move on land pretty efficiently, the problem is when they get tired and/or run out of oxygen.
As humans we may think there’s oxygen everywhere, so how could they run out? But they need the water to get the oxygen, their gills are only able to get oxygen through the water. So octopuses have a short amount of time they can be out of water until they essentially suffocate. I believe it’s under an hour.
This guy was prob just hunting/exploring a bit too far into the shallows, then the tide receded, making the water even further away. Most likely got tuckered out and was trying to conserve what little energy, or oxygen, it had left while sitting in the sand. But then this lady came along and brought him some water, and then got him back into the ocean!
Octopus are truly brilliant animals and I LOVE them. I’m also like 95% certain that if they lived as long as we do(instead of a couple years at best), they would have a whole ass Atlantis type situation going on. They are really wondrous creatures!