Hitching a ride!

Marine scientists from the University of Auckland have captured a very unusual sight in the Hauraki Gulf - a Maori octopus getting a free ride from a mako shark.

A video released in March 2025 shows that in December 2023, researchers were working on the area when they noticed the shark's dorsal fin had a strange orange patch on its head. A drone was deployed to get a closer look - and that's when they spotted an octopus going for a spin atop the head of a mako shark, holding on with its tentacles.

With octopi normally found near the seabed, and short-fin makos - the fastest sharks on Earth - not usually a fan of the deep, the 'sharktopus' event has been described as an anomaly, but one that's fascinated marine lovers worldwide.

"We could see those tentacles moving," reveals Rochelle Constantine, a professor and marine ecologist at Auckland University. "The encounter is a reminder of the wonders of the ocean. My supporting conservation initiatives, we can help to ensure that such extraordinary moments keep happening."