Octopus march to world domination, step #123: Commandeer the humans' underwater infrastructure, reclaim ocean floor for cephalopodkind.

While carrying out some maintenance work off the Canadian coast in the northern Pacific Ocean, scientists aboard the ocean research vessel Nautilus found themselves squaring off with a small octopus

From burrowing worms to glowing jellies, the Nautilus crew has encountered its share of weird and wonderful marine life – but their latest find was certainly the most obstinate of the bunch! The ship is equipped with an arsenal of remotely operated vehicles (ROVs), including Hercules, whose robotic arm was attempting to unfasten a piece of equipment on the seabed when it met its tentacled opponent. 

Despite the tenatious tug of war with the ROV, the team assures viewers that no tentacles were harmed in the making of this video – the ROV pilots are trained to work with extreme care and precision. 

In the coming weeks, Nautilus will visit four sites along the Canadian coast before continuing south for the summer, so we can expect to see more amazing encounters from fathoms below!

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Top header image: W. Tipon, Flickr