Blue Planet II captures creature camouflaging itself

Incredible footage of an octopus hiding from a shark by pretending to be a pile of shells is set to air in a new episode of Blue Planet II.

In the BBC One programme, which will be shown tomorrow evening, the female octopus is seen covering herself with shells before her hungry enemy starts swimming around nearby.

Sir David Attenborough, narrator for the programme, describes the deception as ‘truly extraordinary.’

In the BBC programme, which airs tomorrow evening, the female octopus is seen covering itself with shells before her hungry enemy starts swimming around nearby

Sir David Attenborough, narrator for the programme, describes the deception as 'truly extraordinary' 

Sir David Attenborough, narrator for the programme, describes the deception as ‘truly extraordinary’ 

In one heart-stopping moment, the shark smacks its tail on the octopus, turns around and begins to circulate around her again.

The camera then cuts to a close up of the octopus’ eye, which darts around nervously as the predator swims close by.

Sir David says: ‘When caught out in the open and vulnerable, this octopus does something truly extraordinary and never recorded before.

‘She disguises herself with a protective armour of shells. She’s hiding in plain sight.

‘The shark can sense its prey, but the shells confuse it.

‘In a forest full of hungry mouths, superior wits allow this octopus to stay alive.’

His team are the first to catch the great escape on camera. 

Last week, viewers were left shocked and vowed ‘never’ use plastic again after the fourth episode’s tear-jerking segment detailed the demise of a newborn pilot whale.

Emotional viewers of the programme took to social media to express their dismay at the state of the oceans after a pilot whale was filmed cradling her dead baby round the ocean. 

The whale had been carrying her newborn around for several days and was reluctant to let go after developing an emotional attachment to her baby.

In one heart-stopping moment, the shark smacks its tail on the octopus, turns around and begins to circulate around it again

In one heart-stopping moment, the shark smacks its tail on the octopus, turns around and begins to circulate around it again

The camera then cuts to a close up of the octopus' eye, which darts around nervously as the predator swims close by

The camera then cuts to a close up of the octopus’ eye, which darts around nervously as the predator swims close by

It also left Environment Secretary Michael Gove so moved that he felt ‘haunted’ by the documentary – and vowed to take tough action on plastics.

David Attenborough warned about the dangers of pollution through Sunday’s episode, and informed viewers it was possible the whale had poisoned her calf through her own contaminated milk. 

The 91-year-old presenter said: ‘Today in the Atlantic waters they have to share the ocean with plastic. A mother is holding her newborn young – it’s dead.’

But Industry body the British Plastics Federation said it was ‘disappointed’ that the documentary presented by Sir David Attenborough ‘heavily insinuated’ plastics led to the whale’s death.

‘The British Plastics Federation (BPF) was disappointed that the saddening images of a dead baby pilot whale in the recent episode of Blue Planet II were linked to plastics with absolutely no supporting evidence,’ the group said in a statement.

It said that ‘plastics themselves are not a major source of toxins, persistent organic pollutants nor heavy metals found in oceans’. 

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