Watch: Diver witnesses ’rare and exciting’ seal attack on octopus

A diver in Canada captured rare video of a seal attacking an octopus, an encounter that got her heart beating quickly.

The battle occurred near Vancouver Island’s Nanoose Bay in British Columbia. Maxime Veilleux described what she saw to the CBC.

“The seal just zipped by us,” Veilleux told CBC. “We got a little bit closer and it didn’t seem bothered by us at all. We realized it was actually a giant Pacific octopus [and we arrived] right in time to see it all unfold.”

When the seal surfaced to catch a breath, the seal used the opportunity to try to flee, shooting out ink in an attempt to hide its escape. It didn’t work as the seal found the octopus and continued its attack.

“It was pretty rare and very exciting to watch,” Veilleux said. “Our hearts were beating pretty quickly.”

The CBC host reported that the octopus lost a leg in the encounter, but that there was a good chance it survived as it possibly regenerated another leg.