(You can see the octopus rising up from his hideaway, just below the fish in the photo above.)
(Here, the octopus is holding still and watching me as I approach.)
(Now he--or she--is pulling back into the safety of that hole, though watching me as I hover.)
(We watch each other, warily.)
A handful of shots from last summer on Maui.The octopus was moving, rising up a bit from that hole, and that's the only reason I spotted it. I took these shots, free diving, and then moved away before the creature could become too perturbed by my continuing presence. Or, so I reasoned.
Attempting to be tricky, I ended up hovering at a distance, hoping the octopus would rise up again and even leave the hole, but that didn't happen despite my moving further and further away. He, or she, watched me the whole time. So, I swam away, only to return and hover again, but no luck. I eventually grew cold, even in Hawaiian waters, and headed to shore.
