Here's How Small A Hole Can Be For An Octopus To Escape

In a now-viral video, nature-loving YouTube channel The Dodo released footage of an enormous octopus escaping a boat it appears to have accidentally climbed aboard. Rather than disguising itself as a snake or seeking out the nearest drainpipe, this resourceful cephalopod does something equally — perhaps even more — incredible.

The octopus manages to squeeze its entire body through a hole about the size of a soda can. Watching the process unfold is a thing of beauty and fright. Each tentacle-clad arm is thrust through the opening one at a time, and the octopus becomes so exasperated that its bright orange body turns white. Still, determination — along with a boneless, bladderless, and collapsible body — goes a long way (via HuffPost).

Incredibly, the octopus eventually emerges on the other side of the hole, its sticky white tentacles suctioning the side of the boat. While it might seem like an otherworldly feat, nature fans should not be too surprised — the National Geographic YouTube channel reports that a 600-pound octopus can squeeze through a hole the size of a quarter with no sweat.

ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7qL7Up56eZpOkunCAlm9qa2tfnbKzsdJmn6ivXai6orjLZphmoJ%2Bhsm6vwKdkm51dm7yzecCnZKibpKS9tr%2BMraZmnaOYrrGxjg%3D%3D