1 00:00:05,797 --> 00:00:09,134 Beneath the waves, 2 00:00:09,134 --> 00:00:12,887 lives a mysterious creature, 3 00:00:12,887 --> 00:00:16,307 older than the dinosaurs. 4 00:00:19,978 --> 00:00:22,981 Octopus! 5 00:00:24,691 --> 00:00:27,944 So incredibly alien. 6 00:00:31,614 --> 00:00:34,409 Changing color in an instant. 7 00:00:34,993 --> 00:00:39,247 Shapeshifting into almost anything. 8 00:00:40,248 --> 00:00:44,627 They are the planet's true masters of disguise. 9 00:00:46,004 --> 00:00:49,174 Now we're discovering, 10 00:00:49,174 --> 00:00:51,760 they are one of the most intelligent beings 11 00:00:51,760 --> 00:00:54,471 on the planet. 12 00:00:56,181 --> 00:00:59,350 Two years immersed in their world, 13 00:00:59,350 --> 00:01:02,270 reveals they use tools. 14 00:01:02,771 --> 00:01:06,191 I felt completely shocked at the level of sophistication 15 00:01:06,191 --> 00:01:08,276 that I was witnessing. 16 00:01:08,610 --> 00:01:11,029 Think creatively. 17 00:01:13,865 --> 00:01:16,910 Communicate with other species. 18 00:01:18,912 --> 00:01:21,331 And maybe even dream. 19 00:01:21,331 --> 00:01:25,001 I wonder sometimes if the octopuses are dreaming about me, 20 00:01:25,001 --> 00:01:28,046 wondering what I am, who I am. 21 00:01:29,672 --> 00:01:32,342 We're just beginning to understand 22 00:01:32,342 --> 00:01:34,677 what they have to tell us. 23 00:01:34,677 --> 00:01:37,430 I have just had a conversation with an octopus. 24 00:02:11,923 --> 00:02:15,510 Deep beneath the ocean's surface, 25 00:02:17,679 --> 00:02:22,016 a female giant Pacific octopus, 26 00:02:23,893 --> 00:02:27,689 guards her eggs inside a hidden cave. 27 00:02:30,692 --> 00:02:35,280 She won't leave them, even to eat. 28 00:02:39,534 --> 00:02:42,620 They need her protection. 29 00:02:45,790 --> 00:02:49,377 She's been caring for them for over seven months. 30 00:02:52,630 --> 00:02:55,758 Slowly starving to death. 31 00:03:01,806 --> 00:03:05,310 Keeping her babies safe, 32 00:03:08,021 --> 00:03:10,523 will be the last thing she'll ever do. 33 00:03:14,777 --> 00:03:19,490 This tiny octopus, about the size of a grain of rice, 34 00:03:20,617 --> 00:03:24,287 will head out into the world alone. 35 00:03:27,707 --> 00:03:31,878 Never knowing its mother or siblings. 36 00:03:35,965 --> 00:03:39,844 Octopuses are nature's ultimate loners. 37 00:03:40,845 --> 00:03:43,932 Or so, scientists thought. 38 00:04:01,908 --> 00:04:05,411 National Geographic Explorer Dr. Alex Schnell 39 00:04:05,411 --> 00:04:08,748 has spent years studying Animal Psychology. 40 00:04:16,923 --> 00:04:21,344 She believes octopuses are more social than we realize. 41 00:04:23,554 --> 00:04:25,640 When you spend time with an octopus, 42 00:04:25,640 --> 00:04:28,226 you get the feeling that they're as curious about you 43 00:04:28,226 --> 00:04:30,853 as you are about them. 44 00:04:35,233 --> 00:04:39,237 Over many hours of diving in Northern Australia, 45 00:04:41,447 --> 00:04:45,743 she's gained the trust 46 00:04:49,247 --> 00:04:52,834 of a shy female day octopus. 47 00:04:55,128 --> 00:04:56,963 There was a moment between us 48 00:04:56,963 --> 00:05:00,717 where she must have decided that I wasn't a threat to her 49 00:05:00,717 --> 00:05:03,136 and let me follow her around. 50 00:05:07,390 --> 00:05:09,976 Alex has even given her a name. 51 00:05:12,520 --> 00:05:14,856 She'd had a little scar below her eye 52 00:05:14,856 --> 00:05:17,525 and that's how I named her Scarlett. 53 00:05:25,074 --> 00:05:27,327 Although she might accept Alex, 54 00:05:27,327 --> 00:05:32,415 octopuses like Scarlett are usually wary of their own kind. 55 00:05:38,338 --> 00:05:41,049 They're essentially lone rangers. 56 00:05:44,677 --> 00:05:47,722 In fact, octopuses that bump into each other 57 00:05:47,722 --> 00:05:52,643 will often either mate, eat each other, or both. 58 00:05:58,399 --> 00:06:01,694 So, when another day octopus approaches Scarlett, 59 00:06:02,820 --> 00:06:05,239 Alex is concerned. 60 00:06:07,992 --> 00:06:10,328 I was so nervous. 61 00:06:12,205 --> 00:06:16,292 Because you never know how these things are gonna turn out. 62 00:06:22,298 --> 00:06:24,425 They size each other up, 63 00:06:24,425 --> 00:06:27,220 both darken their skin color, 64 00:06:30,723 --> 00:06:34,227 often a sign of aggression. 65 00:06:37,397 --> 00:06:41,025 Scarlett needs to work out what the intruder wants. 66 00:06:42,777 --> 00:06:46,322 And there's only one way to do that. 67 00:06:49,617 --> 00:06:53,371 The really strange thing about day octopuses 68 00:06:53,371 --> 00:06:55,081 is that they have to touch each other 69 00:06:55,081 --> 00:06:58,042 to figure out what the other one wants. 70 00:07:04,382 --> 00:07:06,717 Scarlett uses her suckers, 71 00:07:06,717 --> 00:07:10,596 25 times more sensitive than a human fingertip, 72 00:07:11,013 --> 00:07:14,600 to shake hands with the stranger. 73 00:07:17,019 --> 00:07:19,397 He's a male, looking for a mate. 74 00:07:23,901 --> 00:07:27,029 Scarlett's not interested. 75 00:07:27,029 --> 00:07:29,532 But he won't give up. 76 00:07:41,294 --> 00:07:43,421 Scarlett's in trouble. 77 00:07:43,421 --> 00:07:46,966 If he gets his arms tight around her, 78 00:07:46,966 --> 00:07:49,469 she could be suffocated. 79 00:07:57,852 --> 00:08:01,189 It was such a relief to watch her break free. 80 00:08:04,484 --> 00:08:07,904 With social interactions so dangerous, 81 00:08:08,362 --> 00:08:10,698 it's easy to see why an octopus-like Scarlett 82 00:08:10,698 --> 00:08:13,159 would choose to be alone. 83 00:08:22,084 --> 00:08:26,506 But she seems perfectly content to hang out with Alex. 84 00:08:30,218 --> 00:08:32,720 I can form a social bond with an octopus 85 00:08:32,720 --> 00:08:38,142 so, maybe this idea that they're complete loners isn't true. 86 00:08:43,940 --> 00:08:46,150 There's growing evidence that octopuses are 87 00:08:46,150 --> 00:08:51,239 using their intelligence to weigh up who to get close to. 88 00:08:53,574 --> 00:08:58,162 They're not anti-social, just discerning! 89 00:08:59,830 --> 00:09:03,334 Especially when it comes to the opposite sex. 90 00:09:11,008 --> 00:09:13,427 To understand how octopuses choose 91 00:09:13,427 --> 00:09:16,597 who to spend their time with, 92 00:09:17,515 --> 00:09:20,810 we need to look at their dating habits. 93 00:09:25,022 --> 00:09:30,444 In Indonesia, the love life of one octopus 94 00:09:32,822 --> 00:09:36,325 is helping to rewrite the rulebook on their relationships. 95 00:09:40,496 --> 00:09:43,499 Trapped in his den by low tide, 96 00:09:45,001 --> 00:09:49,338 this male algae octopus can't wait to be free. 97 00:09:56,929 --> 00:10:00,433 Because when the water rises, 98 00:10:02,268 --> 00:10:05,146 he goes looking for romance. 99 00:10:12,320 --> 00:10:17,283 Since he only comes out of his den a few hours a day, 100 00:10:18,784 --> 00:10:21,287 he needs to fast-track it. 101 00:10:24,624 --> 00:10:28,544 Luckily, his zip code means mates aplenty. 102 00:10:34,634 --> 00:10:36,177 But all the local octopuses 103 00:10:36,177 --> 00:10:38,512 are making the most of high tide. 104 00:10:43,976 --> 00:10:46,979 It's octopus speed-dating! 105 00:11:04,246 --> 00:11:07,583 It's a social situation so unusual, 106 00:11:07,583 --> 00:11:10,378 marine biologist Dr. Christine Huffard 107 00:11:10,378 --> 00:11:14,507 has been studying it for two decades. 108 00:11:16,467 --> 00:11:18,052 The algae octopus 109 00:11:18,052 --> 00:11:20,971 interact frequently, many times a day. 110 00:11:23,432 --> 00:11:27,561 But the more I watch the algae octopus the more questions I have 111 00:11:27,561 --> 00:11:32,733 about what really drives these social interactions. 112 00:11:33,984 --> 00:11:37,655 Could this closely packed arena be the reason 113 00:11:37,655 --> 00:11:42,201 algae octopuses break the mold when it comes to socializing? 114 00:11:50,584 --> 00:11:53,713 The young male has spotted a female. 115 00:11:54,922 --> 00:11:58,676 But a more experienced striped rival gets there first. 116 00:11:59,927 --> 00:12:03,264 His extended arm is an open invitation to mate. 117 00:12:07,184 --> 00:12:10,980 Our young male is prepared to fight for her. 118 00:12:18,612 --> 00:12:20,948 The males wrestle, 119 00:12:20,948 --> 00:12:24,827 each of their eight arms moving independently, 120 00:12:28,414 --> 00:12:31,667 it's the ultimate showdown. 121 00:12:44,805 --> 00:12:47,683 But it's more than just a physical fight, 122 00:12:47,975 --> 00:12:50,186 it's intelligence gathering. 123 00:12:50,978 --> 00:12:55,566 It learns its rank among the other neighbors around it 124 00:12:55,566 --> 00:12:58,235 and what resources it might be able to take. 125 00:12:58,235 --> 00:12:59,987 What it can get away with behaviorally. 126 00:12:59,987 --> 00:13:02,114 What it needs to fight for. 127 00:13:05,284 --> 00:13:08,829 These octopuses are not only living together, 128 00:13:09,413 --> 00:13:12,583 they're getting smarter because of it. 129 00:13:15,002 --> 00:13:17,963 It's social learning. 130 00:13:21,675 --> 00:13:25,763 And scientists didn't know wild octopuses could do it. 131 00:13:31,352 --> 00:13:35,064 The young male is still on his quest for love. 132 00:13:36,273 --> 00:13:39,068 But now, he's got a new strategy. 133 00:13:41,153 --> 00:13:45,032 Best to go for a female who's not already taken. 134 00:13:47,493 --> 00:13:50,454 He starts the conversation. 135 00:13:51,747 --> 00:13:55,417 His tens of thousands of color-changing skin cells, 136 00:13:56,710 --> 00:13:58,629 send a message. 137 00:14:02,550 --> 00:14:06,971 Scientists call this "Passing Cloud display." 138 00:14:17,314 --> 00:14:20,484 Her reply looks promising. 139 00:14:25,030 --> 00:14:27,575 He moves in. 140 00:14:30,744 --> 00:14:33,998 He sticks up his papillae over his eye, 141 00:14:33,998 --> 00:14:37,459 which is a little finger-like, fleshy projection. 142 00:14:37,918 --> 00:14:40,379 He looks as big as he can be. 143 00:14:40,379 --> 00:14:42,631 He's got a white background with a big black stripe 144 00:14:42,631 --> 00:14:46,385 that says I will either fight you or mate with you. 145 00:14:48,429 --> 00:14:51,807 His come-on has done the trick. 146 00:14:58,981 --> 00:15:02,401 He extends his specialized mating arm. 147 00:15:09,617 --> 00:15:13,245 Its modified tip will deliver a packet of sperm. 148 00:15:15,789 --> 00:15:19,001 If he can just find the right spot. 149 00:15:22,254 --> 00:15:24,882 Nope, still not it! 150 00:15:31,889 --> 00:15:35,267 But she's getting impatient and hungry. 151 00:15:38,354 --> 00:15:41,941 He's gotten this far, so if she wants to go hunting, 152 00:15:41,941 --> 00:15:44,902 he'll hang on. 153 00:15:47,029 --> 00:15:50,282 Mating on the move. 154 00:15:59,041 --> 00:16:03,003 It's been a steep learning curve for this little guy. 155 00:16:06,048 --> 00:16:08,592 But his decision to interact with others, 156 00:16:08,592 --> 00:16:13,764 whether fighting, communicating, or mating, 157 00:16:14,640 --> 00:16:17,309 has made him smarter, 158 00:16:18,227 --> 00:16:21,271 and, more successful. 159 00:16:24,900 --> 00:16:27,945 But is the algae octopus a one-off? 160 00:16:32,241 --> 00:16:35,244 Christine thinks not. 161 00:16:36,036 --> 00:16:38,080 We might learn that there are other social octopuses 162 00:16:38,080 --> 00:16:41,458 out there, that it's maybe not as uncommon as we think. 163 00:16:46,380 --> 00:16:49,925 Algae octopuses are forced to interact, 164 00:16:53,846 --> 00:16:56,348 but there are places where octopuses 165 00:16:56,348 --> 00:16:59,560 choose to come together. 166 00:17:05,190 --> 00:17:08,610 Over 100 miles off the coast of Costa Rica. 167 00:17:15,117 --> 00:17:19,038 And nearly two miles beneath the surface of the ocean, 168 00:17:22,249 --> 00:17:26,170 in one of the most extreme environments on Earth, 169 00:17:30,507 --> 00:17:34,511 a team of scientists made a remarkable discovery. 170 00:17:42,269 --> 00:17:45,439 A brand-new species. 171 00:17:49,443 --> 00:17:52,112 Nicknamed the Dorado octopus, 172 00:17:52,112 --> 00:17:53,989 but so new to science, 173 00:17:53,989 --> 00:17:57,159 they're yet to be given an official name. 174 00:18:01,705 --> 00:18:04,708 And they didn't just find a few, 175 00:18:06,460 --> 00:18:09,588 they found over 100. 176 00:18:18,764 --> 00:18:23,477 Almost all are females, caring for their eggs. 177 00:18:26,355 --> 00:18:29,983 This is one of only four deep-sea octopus nurseries 178 00:18:29,983 --> 00:18:33,320 known to exist on our planet. 179 00:18:38,033 --> 00:18:42,996 What attracts so many moms-to-be to this particular spot? 180 00:18:47,668 --> 00:18:50,003 A deep-sea spring, 181 00:18:50,379 --> 00:18:53,757 where warm water flows out of cracks in the sea floor. 182 00:18:57,261 --> 00:19:00,556 Speeding up the development of their eggs. 183 00:19:06,895 --> 00:19:10,691 Being so close to each other is a price worth paying. 184 00:19:16,780 --> 00:19:20,826 These moms will be down here together, for almost two years, 185 00:19:20,826 --> 00:19:24,913 as their babies grow. 186 00:19:32,212 --> 00:19:36,717 Each tiny hatchling a symbol of their mutual tolerance. 187 00:19:40,554 --> 00:19:45,809 Scientists believe more sites like this remain undiscovered. 188 00:19:49,605 --> 00:19:53,567 There could be thousands of octopus putting their differences aside 189 00:19:53,567 --> 00:19:56,069 to secure the next generation. 190 00:20:03,702 --> 00:20:08,165 But what happens when octopuses of different species meet? 191 00:20:27,935 --> 00:20:33,148 Dr. Alex Schnell has heard that underneath this unassuming pier, 192 00:20:34,441 --> 00:20:37,527 something highly unusual is happening. 193 00:20:44,243 --> 00:20:47,788 The action happens at night. 194 00:21:08,183 --> 00:21:11,353 I only have the tiny light from my torch 195 00:21:11,353 --> 00:21:14,231 to guide me. 196 00:21:21,822 --> 00:21:24,992 You have this eerie feeling 197 00:21:24,992 --> 00:21:27,828 as you're moving through the water. 198 00:21:43,302 --> 00:21:47,556 I noticed two little eyes popping out. 199 00:21:51,393 --> 00:21:56,064 And it's a pale octopus. 200 00:22:00,319 --> 00:22:04,865 She comes out, and 201 00:22:04,865 --> 00:22:07,451 we have this wonderful moment where 202 00:22:07,451 --> 00:22:11,580 her suckers touch my gloved hand. 203 00:22:15,876 --> 00:22:20,047 It felt like she was inviting me to go on a swim with her. 204 00:22:25,260 --> 00:22:27,679 The pale octopus leads Alex to an up-cycled 205 00:22:27,679 --> 00:22:32,059 artificial reef created by divers. 206 00:22:37,397 --> 00:22:41,026 It may not look like much, 207 00:22:41,026 --> 00:22:43,653 but it offers octopuses everything they need 208 00:22:43,653 --> 00:22:46,782 to feel at home. 209 00:22:56,750 --> 00:23:01,171 They are everywhere. 210 00:23:01,588 --> 00:23:05,467 Peeking back at Alex from every cubby hole. 211 00:23:09,471 --> 00:23:13,141 But that's not the only thing that caught Alex's attention. 212 00:23:15,477 --> 00:23:17,896 Normally, I'd see about one or two octopuses 213 00:23:17,896 --> 00:23:20,732 and they're usually of the same species. 214 00:23:23,235 --> 00:23:26,738 But down here you have about 100 individuals, 215 00:23:26,738 --> 00:23:29,241 of five different species, 216 00:23:29,866 --> 00:23:32,702 and they're all just living together. 217 00:23:35,747 --> 00:23:38,333 From octopuses as small as a golf ball, 218 00:23:40,335 --> 00:23:43,088 to octopuses as big as a beach ball. 219 00:23:44,923 --> 00:23:48,260 That is an extraordinary octopus oasis down there, 220 00:23:48,260 --> 00:23:51,638 with several species co-existing. 221 00:23:56,143 --> 00:23:58,270 Great real estate may have attracted so many 222 00:23:58,270 --> 00:24:01,189 octopuses here. 223 00:24:11,616 --> 00:24:14,578 But it doesn't explain how animals that would normally 224 00:24:14,578 --> 00:24:19,583 fight, even kill each other, 225 00:24:19,583 --> 00:24:22,169 are living harmoniously. 226 00:24:31,470 --> 00:24:33,472 I've got a theory that might help explain 227 00:24:33,472 --> 00:24:35,265 what we're seeing here. 228 00:24:35,265 --> 00:24:36,683 We've got five different species, 229 00:24:36,683 --> 00:24:39,227 with very different personalities. 230 00:24:40,604 --> 00:24:43,440 The Maori, one of the largest species in the world, 231 00:24:43,440 --> 00:24:46,109 is quite shy. 232 00:24:48,528 --> 00:24:53,158 And then a really tiny octopus, the Southern Keeled, 233 00:24:53,158 --> 00:24:56,161 has a lot of sass. 234 00:24:57,579 --> 00:24:59,372 It's a perfect mix of personalities 235 00:24:59,372 --> 00:25:01,791 for them all to co-exist. 236 00:25:03,001 --> 00:25:07,297 So perhaps, just like us, 237 00:25:07,297 --> 00:25:11,801 sometimes it's their differences that allow them to get along. 238 00:25:14,721 --> 00:25:17,933 In this thriving octopolis, 239 00:25:17,933 --> 00:25:21,144 they've learned to defy their instincts 240 00:25:21,895 --> 00:25:25,065 and live peacefully with their neighbors. 241 00:25:37,160 --> 00:25:39,496 Octopuses are smart enough to choose companionship 242 00:25:39,496 --> 00:25:42,123 when it counts, 243 00:25:45,293 --> 00:25:50,131 but are there any limits to who they'll cooperate with? 244 00:25:57,764 --> 00:26:01,685 Alex's favorite loner, Scarlett, 245 00:26:01,685 --> 00:26:05,105 is out hunting on the reef. 246 00:26:08,108 --> 00:26:10,569 And she's not the only one. 247 00:26:14,281 --> 00:26:16,700 A coral trout. 248 00:26:19,786 --> 00:26:22,664 Growing up to three feet long and weighing three times 249 00:26:22,664 --> 00:26:25,584 as much as Scarlett. 250 00:26:28,128 --> 00:26:31,423 Big enough to be a threat. 251 00:26:34,384 --> 00:26:37,554 Scarlett is certainly keeping an eye on him. 252 00:26:40,348 --> 00:26:44,352 But not because she's scared. 253 00:26:48,815 --> 00:26:52,402 When the small fish flee, 254 00:26:55,280 --> 00:26:57,991 they're out of his reach. 255 00:27:00,493 --> 00:27:03,496 Not Scarlett's though! 256 00:27:06,041 --> 00:27:08,460 He needs to call in the octopus cavalry, 257 00:27:09,169 --> 00:27:13,465 and changes his body color from patterned to pale. 258 00:27:17,594 --> 00:27:21,473 It's the beginning of a signal Scarlett's been waiting for. 259 00:27:23,016 --> 00:27:27,479 Because this trout is now her hunting buddy! 260 00:27:33,109 --> 00:27:37,238 Scarlett watches as he shows her where to look. 261 00:27:44,412 --> 00:27:47,749 Then begins a sweep search. 262 00:27:52,587 --> 00:27:54,631 When she's in the right place, 263 00:27:54,631 --> 00:27:57,884 the trout returns to his normal pattern. 264 00:28:01,971 --> 00:28:05,266 They appear to be using their bodies to talk to each other. 265 00:28:11,439 --> 00:28:14,859 One really fundamental component of human language 266 00:28:14,859 --> 00:28:17,404 is a thing called referential signaling. 267 00:28:17,404 --> 00:28:19,155 My little girl, she's one year old, 268 00:28:19,155 --> 00:28:21,241 and she's already started pointing to certain things 269 00:28:21,241 --> 00:28:23,493 and so I can deduce that she might want a drink 270 00:28:23,493 --> 00:28:25,036 if she points to my water bottle, 271 00:28:25,704 --> 00:28:28,331 but of course, a fish doesn't have a hand to point, 272 00:28:28,331 --> 00:28:30,917 so they do a headstand. 273 00:28:31,626 --> 00:28:34,129 Here we have really unique communication 274 00:28:34,129 --> 00:28:37,298 occurring between different species. 275 00:28:40,176 --> 00:28:43,304 Scarlett gets help finding food. 276 00:28:48,893 --> 00:28:52,313 If she misses, 277 00:28:52,313 --> 00:28:55,108 more for the trout. 278 00:28:57,068 --> 00:28:59,821 It's teamwork. 279 00:29:07,203 --> 00:29:11,374 It's given Alex an idea for an impromptu experiment. 280 00:29:13,710 --> 00:29:15,920 Science often starts with an idea, 281 00:29:15,920 --> 00:29:18,298 even if they're crazy ideas. 282 00:29:18,298 --> 00:29:20,717 After witnessing the octopus hunting with the fish, 283 00:29:20,717 --> 00:29:23,428 I decided to try something. 284 00:29:27,724 --> 00:29:30,268 Today Scarlett is hunting alone. 285 00:29:35,648 --> 00:29:37,734 I follow her around and wait until 286 00:29:37,734 --> 00:29:41,362 she flushes out crustaceans from the coral rubble. 287 00:29:42,697 --> 00:29:46,701 I can see that she misses a few crabs here and there. 288 00:29:56,753 --> 00:29:59,839 I start pointing towards them. 289 00:30:11,976 --> 00:30:14,062 And to my surprise, she responded. 290 00:30:19,609 --> 00:30:21,486 She had an understanding of what I was trying to 291 00:30:21,486 --> 00:30:24,364 communicate to her. 292 00:30:28,243 --> 00:30:30,620 Scarlett is quick to catch the prey 293 00:30:30,620 --> 00:30:32,956 Alex has shown her. 294 00:30:35,834 --> 00:30:37,418 Maybe she preferred me 295 00:30:37,418 --> 00:30:38,962 as a hunting partner, 296 00:30:38,962 --> 00:30:41,047 I was playing the role of the fish, 297 00:30:41,047 --> 00:30:44,467 but I wasn't taking any of her catch. 298 00:30:46,469 --> 00:30:49,222 It felt weird, and wonderful 299 00:30:49,222 --> 00:30:52,350 to be having this interaction with Scarlett. 300 00:30:55,478 --> 00:31:02,110 Here we are, separated by over 550 million years of evolution, 301 00:31:02,110 --> 00:31:04,988 but we're having a conversation. 302 00:31:08,950 --> 00:31:12,078 It just felt like magic. 303 00:31:18,710 --> 00:31:20,795 The more time we spend in the water 304 00:31:20,795 --> 00:31:22,797 with octopuses, 305 00:31:22,797 --> 00:31:25,884 the more they surprise us. 306 00:31:28,177 --> 00:31:31,764 Every remarkable new discovery, 307 00:31:33,600 --> 00:31:35,393 breaking down our beliefs 308 00:31:35,977 --> 00:31:41,149 about what they could, or should do. 309 00:31:45,028 --> 00:31:49,198 Far from being lifelong loners, 310 00:31:49,198 --> 00:31:53,286 they can be social animals, 311 00:31:54,329 --> 00:32:01,002 but ones that use their skills, selectively, 312 00:32:01,002 --> 00:32:03,296 to get ahead. 313 00:32:04,714 --> 00:32:10,136 From octopus moms, doing the best for their babies, 314 00:32:12,472 --> 00:32:17,477 to cross-species partnerships, 315 00:32:17,477 --> 00:32:20,229 even with us. 316 00:32:21,522 --> 00:32:25,485 As long as it suits them. 317 00:32:31,157 --> 00:32:34,786 What more secrets are yet to be revealed? 318 00:32:35,954 --> 00:32:40,291 Only time will tell. 319 00:32:56,474 --> 00:32:59,644 When National Geographic Explorer Dr. Alex Schnell 320 00:32:59,644 --> 00:33:02,689 first went looking for a day octopus, 321 00:33:04,232 --> 00:33:07,402 she couldn't have imagined the journey she'd begun. 322 00:33:08,903 --> 00:33:11,906 Or the friend she would make. 323 00:33:16,077 --> 00:33:17,787 So this is pretty amazing, 324 00:33:17,787 --> 00:33:20,415 it's really fascinated by you. 325 00:33:20,915 --> 00:33:24,293 As fascinated by me as I am by her. 326 00:33:30,133 --> 00:33:31,968 But what do you think it is, do you think it's the eyes 327 00:33:31,968 --> 00:33:35,179 that it, it recognizes a, a thinking being? 328 00:33:35,179 --> 00:33:38,725 Well, I feel like they're driven by so much curiosity. 329 00:33:38,725 --> 00:33:40,143 Yeah. 330 00:33:40,143 --> 00:33:44,272 No, you can really sense her curiosity about you. 331 00:33:47,525 --> 00:33:50,111 Day octopus are normally timid, 332 00:33:50,111 --> 00:33:53,781 but this one seemed to welcome Alex into her world. 333 00:33:55,366 --> 00:33:59,203 I think it's amazing how quickly she discarded the idea 334 00:33:59,203 --> 00:34:01,414 - that you might be threatening. - Mmm. 335 00:34:01,414 --> 00:34:04,292 Curiosity outweighed the danger signals. 336 00:34:04,292 --> 00:34:05,376 Yeah, yeah. 337 00:34:05,501 --> 00:34:08,254 A bigger creature, unfamiliar, could be anything. 338 00:34:08,254 --> 00:34:09,422 - Uh-huh. - you know. 339 00:34:09,422 --> 00:34:12,341 - Yeah, absolutely and she initiates... Yeah. 340 00:34:12,341 --> 00:34:15,303 The touch, which is really important. 341 00:34:24,937 --> 00:34:28,566 Alex never dreamt that an animal so alien, 342 00:34:28,566 --> 00:34:30,485 so different, 343 00:34:30,485 --> 00:34:33,446 would reach out to her. 344 00:34:35,031 --> 00:34:37,450 How could she have any basis for that, 345 00:34:37,450 --> 00:34:40,787 there wouldn't have been any kind of innate memory of that. 346 00:34:42,330 --> 00:34:44,248 - I ask myself that question all the time. - Yeah. 347 00:34:46,918 --> 00:34:49,712 There's a lot going on in that brain. 348 00:34:49,712 --> 00:34:52,090 Yeah. 349 00:34:56,177 --> 00:34:58,763 The time spent with Scarlett was further proof 350 00:34:58,763 --> 00:35:02,725 of just how intelligent octopus are. 351 00:35:03,059 --> 00:35:06,854 They learn fast, because they have to. 352 00:35:08,815 --> 00:35:11,984 They don't have anyone to learn from, uh, 353 00:35:11,984 --> 00:35:13,945 they don't live with brothers or sisters. 354 00:35:13,945 --> 00:35:16,030 Right, so it's not... it's not culturally 355 00:35:16,030 --> 00:35:18,866 passed down and taught by parents or you know. 356 00:35:18,866 --> 00:35:22,286 No, and I think everything is learnt 357 00:35:22,286 --> 00:35:23,663 from their environment. 358 00:35:23,663 --> 00:35:25,957 Yeah. 359 00:35:30,545 --> 00:35:33,381 Don't their brains develop very rapidly compared to say ours, 360 00:35:33,381 --> 00:35:35,133 just, just physiologically? 361 00:35:35,133 --> 00:35:37,468 Yeah, so it's life in the fast lane. 362 00:35:37,468 --> 00:35:38,761 The stakes are high, 363 00:35:38,761 --> 00:35:40,930 - they don't have anyone to protect them. Right. 364 00:35:40,930 --> 00:35:42,765 So they have to learn really quickly. 365 00:35:42,765 --> 00:35:44,725 Yeah and they don't have any natural protection 366 00:35:44,725 --> 00:35:47,270 like shell, teeth, claws, anything like that, 367 00:35:47,270 --> 00:35:50,314 so they, yeah, they can just, they can hide, they can plan, 368 00:35:50,314 --> 00:35:52,400 they can watch, they can strategize. 369 00:35:52,400 --> 00:35:53,901 Exactly. 370 00:35:53,901 --> 00:35:55,278 Their mind is their weapon. 371 00:35:55,278 --> 00:35:57,488 Yeah. 372 00:35:59,490 --> 00:36:01,409 They're kind of scientists. 373 00:36:01,409 --> 00:36:04,036 You know, like the way kids are scientists. 374 00:36:04,036 --> 00:36:05,872 Kids just wanna know how things work, right? 375 00:36:05,872 --> 00:36:08,749 So they're these young, curious minds that are 376 00:36:08,749 --> 00:36:12,879 figuring out a theory of how their world works around them. 377 00:36:12,879 --> 00:36:16,632 Mm-hm, yeah, it's a completely alternative pathway 378 00:36:16,632 --> 00:36:18,593 - to intelligence, and that's... Yeah. 379 00:36:18,593 --> 00:36:22,263 ...what draws me to studying these animals. 380 00:36:22,263 --> 00:36:25,516 And these guys are just breaking all of the rules. 381 00:36:26,017 --> 00:36:29,270 With their remarkable intelligence and curiosity, 382 00:36:29,270 --> 00:36:32,148 octopuses overcome almost any obstacle 383 00:36:32,148 --> 00:36:34,275 their habitat throws at them. 384 00:36:35,318 --> 00:36:38,779 Problem-solving masterminds that never switch off. 385 00:36:44,243 --> 00:36:45,620 She's out, she's sleeping. 386 00:36:45,620 --> 00:36:46,871 She's sleeping, yeah. 387 00:36:46,871 --> 00:36:48,956 Octopus snoring. 388 00:36:49,332 --> 00:36:51,584 It's really interesting because she goes through 389 00:36:51,584 --> 00:36:53,920 like this still sleep cycle here, 390 00:36:53,920 --> 00:36:56,589 but then she'll have a moment when she starts to 391 00:36:56,589 --> 00:36:58,257 move quite a bit, 392 00:36:58,257 --> 00:37:00,343 this is what we call an active phase of sleep. 393 00:37:00,343 --> 00:37:01,510 Yeah, like REM sleep. 394 00:37:01,510 --> 00:37:02,887 - Absolutely. - Yeah. 395 00:37:02,887 --> 00:37:05,932 And what happens when humans have an active phase of sleep 396 00:37:05,932 --> 00:37:08,059 - is we dream. - Right. 397 00:37:08,059 --> 00:37:11,729 And so it might mean that she's also dreaming. 398 00:37:11,729 --> 00:37:13,856 Yeah. Oh, she's dreaming. 399 00:37:13,856 --> 00:37:15,441 Trust me, she's dreaming. 400 00:37:15,441 --> 00:37:16,734 Come on, look. 401 00:37:16,901 --> 00:37:19,362 I mean it's like a, like a dog's paws, you know, 402 00:37:19,362 --> 00:37:20,571 when they're chasing rabbits in their, in their dream. 403 00:37:20,571 --> 00:37:21,656 Absolutely. 404 00:37:21,656 --> 00:37:23,282 Of course, we don't know dogs are dreaming, 405 00:37:23,282 --> 00:37:25,910 but we know dogs are dreaming, we know it. 406 00:37:27,078 --> 00:37:28,454 Well, dreaming is really important to me, 407 00:37:28,454 --> 00:37:30,790 I mean I do a lot of my creative work, 408 00:37:30,790 --> 00:37:32,250 I think, in dreams. 409 00:37:32,250 --> 00:37:33,459 You know. 410 00:37:34,043 --> 00:37:35,711 I mean I always said it's my own private streaming channel 411 00:37:35,711 --> 00:37:37,296 that's free. 412 00:37:37,296 --> 00:37:40,383 But you know Avatar was based on dream imagery, 413 00:37:40,383 --> 00:37:42,468 Terminator was based on dream imagery, 414 00:37:42,468 --> 00:37:46,472 scenes in Aliens were based on dream imagery. 415 00:37:47,223 --> 00:37:50,309 Seems pretty obvious she's dreaming to me. 416 00:37:50,685 --> 00:37:53,437 Now what she's dreaming about, that we can't answer. 417 00:37:53,437 --> 00:37:56,315 No, that we can't answer. 418 00:37:57,233 --> 00:37:59,777 You'll notice during the active phase, 419 00:37:59,777 --> 00:38:01,612 she's twitching and also... 420 00:38:01,612 --> 00:38:02,697 - She's doing it. - Changing color. 421 00:38:02,697 --> 00:38:04,323 - She's doing it right now. Yeah. - Mmm. 422 00:38:04,323 --> 00:38:07,326 That could mean that she's processing memory. 423 00:38:07,326 --> 00:38:10,871 Yeah, so that could be experience, could be location, 424 00:38:10,871 --> 00:38:14,375 could be building, you know, some kind of geographic map... 425 00:38:14,375 --> 00:38:15,501 - Exactly. - Memory map. 426 00:38:15,918 --> 00:38:17,253 Building a mental map of her habitat, 427 00:38:17,545 --> 00:38:21,340 which could save her life in a, you know, in a future encounter. 428 00:38:21,340 --> 00:38:25,011 Even looking at their behaviors and the way that 429 00:38:25,011 --> 00:38:26,929 their skin changes, 430 00:38:26,929 --> 00:38:29,682 that in itself is a window into their mind. 431 00:38:30,891 --> 00:38:34,854 While we can't talk to them, their skin tell the stories. 432 00:38:34,854 --> 00:38:36,480 It does tell a story. 433 00:38:38,316 --> 00:38:40,526 If octopuses do dream, 434 00:38:40,526 --> 00:38:42,028 it is one of many secrets 435 00:38:42,028 --> 00:38:45,197 that scientists have yet to discover. 436 00:38:46,991 --> 00:38:49,160 The more time we spend in their world, 437 00:38:49,660 --> 00:38:53,247 the more we learn about the intelligent ways they survive. 438 00:38:56,459 --> 00:39:00,546 Just ten years ago, a large gathering of Dorado females 439 00:39:00,546 --> 00:39:03,799 was discovered 10,000 feet deep. 440 00:39:06,010 --> 00:39:07,928 So this is more your territory. 441 00:39:07,928 --> 00:39:09,597 Well, I've seen these guys plenty of times 442 00:39:09,597 --> 00:39:13,100 but I, I haven't seen this kind of uh, aggregating behavior 443 00:39:13,100 --> 00:39:14,935 where you see a bunch of them in one place, 444 00:39:14,935 --> 00:39:17,271 they're usually solo acts. 445 00:39:17,271 --> 00:39:19,357 Out of the 300 species of octopus, 446 00:39:19,357 --> 00:39:20,691 most of them are loners. 447 00:39:20,691 --> 00:39:21,942 Right. 448 00:39:22,276 --> 00:39:24,904 But you have a handful of species where you will see them 449 00:39:24,904 --> 00:39:26,781 aggregate into these small communities. 450 00:39:26,781 --> 00:39:28,908 Yeah. 451 00:39:30,326 --> 00:39:33,037 They've come together here collectively, 452 00:39:33,037 --> 00:39:35,164 to take advantage of the hot water 453 00:39:35,164 --> 00:39:36,707 that's seeping out of the vent. 454 00:39:36,707 --> 00:39:41,462 Right, and, and you're thinking that the warmth of that, 455 00:39:41,921 --> 00:39:45,132 that hydro-thermal flow, that warm water coming up, 456 00:39:45,132 --> 00:39:47,885 - is causing the eggs to develop faster. - Yeah. 457 00:39:47,885 --> 00:39:49,512 Like a bird keeping its eggs warm. 458 00:39:49,512 --> 00:39:50,596 Exactly, otherwise it would just 459 00:39:50,596 --> 00:39:52,556 take too long. 460 00:39:54,517 --> 00:39:57,103 We don't even have a name for an octopus group. 461 00:39:57,103 --> 00:39:58,354 . 462 00:39:58,354 --> 00:39:59,730 Uh, well, what would you call it? 463 00:39:59,730 --> 00:40:01,357 A flock of, of octopuses? 464 00:40:01,357 --> 00:40:03,192 - Yeah. - A flocktopus! 465 00:40:03,192 --> 00:40:04,652 Flocktopus. 466 00:40:04,652 --> 00:40:06,237 . 467 00:40:09,156 --> 00:40:10,699 What's amazing, every time you go into 468 00:40:10,699 --> 00:40:14,995 the deep ocean, you're always finding out something new. 469 00:40:14,995 --> 00:40:16,622 So how deep have you gone then? 470 00:40:16,622 --> 00:40:19,083 Well, I've gone a lot deeper than this. 471 00:40:19,083 --> 00:40:23,003 Uh, actually to the deepest place in the, in the world, 472 00:40:23,003 --> 00:40:26,006 but once you get down below, you know 500 or 1,000 feet, 473 00:40:26,006 --> 00:40:28,300 it's all pitch black, all the way down, 474 00:40:28,300 --> 00:40:30,219 and I think we're at, what 10,000? 475 00:40:30,219 --> 00:40:32,471 - 10,000 feet. - 10,000 feet here. 476 00:40:32,471 --> 00:40:34,723 Yeah so, it's pitch black all day every day, 477 00:40:34,723 --> 00:40:36,517 you know, and cold. 478 00:40:36,517 --> 00:40:40,438 But I've heard that you have also seen a dumbo octopus. 479 00:40:40,438 --> 00:40:42,231 - Oh, the dumbos are beautiful. - Yeah. 480 00:40:42,231 --> 00:40:44,233 Absolutely gorgeous and they have their little 481 00:40:44,233 --> 00:40:46,527 head fins, their little cephalic fins. 482 00:40:47,903 --> 00:40:51,407 They look like dumbo ears but they're really fins. 483 00:40:51,407 --> 00:40:52,950 Yeah. 484 00:40:52,950 --> 00:40:54,660 I don't think any other species have fins 485 00:40:54,660 --> 00:40:57,413 like that on their head, but they're gorgeous, they're, 486 00:40:57,413 --> 00:40:58,706 they're translucent 487 00:40:58,706 --> 00:41:01,333 and they have a kind of an iridescent quality, 488 00:41:01,333 --> 00:41:03,919 they're really quite beautiful. 489 00:41:03,919 --> 00:41:05,838 Do you draw creative inspiration 490 00:41:05,838 --> 00:41:07,381 from these explorations? 491 00:41:07,381 --> 00:41:08,549 Absolutely. 492 00:41:08,549 --> 00:41:11,969 I've got some characters in an upcoming Avatar film that are inspired 493 00:41:11,969 --> 00:41:14,805 by some of the deep, uh, deep creature, 494 00:41:14,805 --> 00:41:16,140 deep cephalopods. 495 00:41:16,140 --> 00:41:18,350 - Oh, excellent. - Thanks. 496 00:41:18,350 --> 00:41:20,394 Can't say anything more about that right now. 497 00:41:22,396 --> 00:41:24,148 I mean not only are these, like, 498 00:41:24,148 --> 00:41:27,943 particularly alien-looking octopus, 499 00:41:27,943 --> 00:41:33,324 but I think all octopuses are kind of alien. 500 00:41:33,324 --> 00:41:35,576 I think that's what draws us to them, 501 00:41:35,576 --> 00:41:39,163 because we, as humans are so fascinated by the unknown 502 00:41:39,163 --> 00:41:42,333 and by the alien, and here we have 503 00:41:42,333 --> 00:41:44,960 a very alien-like creature, 504 00:41:44,960 --> 00:41:47,129 but then we can resonate with them as well, 505 00:41:47,129 --> 00:41:49,048 they show these familiar traits 506 00:41:49,048 --> 00:41:50,883 that we can really connect to. 507 00:41:50,883 --> 00:41:53,135 I mean the ocean still has so much to teach us, 508 00:41:53,135 --> 00:41:54,929 even in the places we think we know. 509 00:41:54,929 --> 00:41:56,305 Oh, absolutely. 510 00:41:56,305 --> 00:41:58,182 Yeah, there's so much to learn still. 511 00:41:58,182 --> 00:42:01,393 We've got a whole different alien world down there. 512 00:42:01,393 --> 00:42:03,479 That's right. 513 00:42:43,978 --> 00:42:45,521 Captioned by Cotter Media Group.