Deep-Sea Scientists Film Enchanting Octopus In Mesmerizing Video

An ethereal-looking octopus is the star of a new video that shows the creature floating gracefully near the ocean floor.

The clip, posted this week by scientists from the research vessel E/V Nautilus, shows a Grimpoteuthis octopus, also known as the dumbo octopus, gliding slowly along as its eight whitish-purple arms balloon out and ripple in the water. Voices of researchers can be heard enthusiastically exclaiming things like, “Aww, dumbo!” and “So cute!”

The footage of the approximately 2-foot-long deep-sea octopus was captured by a remotely operated vehicle diving in the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary off the coast of California. The ROV was exploring Davidson Seamount, an underwater mountain sometimes called an “oasis in the deep,” according to the marine sanctuary’s website.

The Grimpoteuthis octopus lives on the seafloor around 9,800 to 13,000 feet deep, according to the Smithsonian.

The animals tend to hover over the ocean floor to catch food like snails or worms, meaning that the little critter filmed by the ROV was likely looking for a snack. Let’s hope it found something delicious.