I don't often recommend movies or documentaries, but once in a while something comes along that is so good that I feel compelled to let people know. My Octopus Teacher, on Netflix, is one such film. It is beautiful and informative, and something you won't soon forget.
It's about a filmmaker, going through a hard time in his life, who decides to start diving. He discovers an octopus, sees him everyday, and through the lens of a magnificently filmed movie, the viewer almost feels as if he was there. Trust me, whether you're an animal lover or not, you will NOT want this film to end.
Through My Octopus Teacher I learned so much about these cephalopods, thought to be the smartest invertebrates in the ocean. /They are problem solvers. They can learn to unscrew a lid to get prey from a container. Octopuses have been seen using coconut shells to hide from potential predators. They can avoid or thwart attackers, most amazingly by hiding in plain sight. Using a network of pigment cells and specialized muscles in its skin, the common octopus can almost instantaneously match the colors, patterns and textures of its surroundings. The often collect crustacean shells to construct a fortress.
There are about 300 recognized octopus species. Octopuses have four pairs of arms and three hearts. If arms are cut or injured, they grow back. Octopuses live 1-2 years, and the female dies shortly after laying its eggs. After seeing this movie and realizing that they actually have individual personalities and feelings, it will be a long time before I eat grilled octopus!
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