One pint-sized ocean rescue has been stealing hearts online for nearly a decade — and may even have the power to change how you think about plastic pollution.
In a YouTube video that has racked up more than 20 million views since it was posted in 2019, a small coconut octopus can be seen accepting help from divers after getting stuck using a plastic cup as its home, Upworthy reported.
In the footage, filmed off the coast of Lembeh, Indonesia, the octopus clutches a clear plastic cup — something that might seem harmless at first glance but is actually dangerous.
The divers respond with care, gently placing a selection of shells nearby and waiting patiently as the octopus considers alternatives to the plastic.
"We spent a whole dive and most of our air saving this octopus from what was bound to be a cruel fate," diver Pall Sigurdsson wrote in the video description.
After several attempts, the octopus finally selects a shell, leaving the plastic cup behind.
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"We tried for a long time to give it shells, hoping that it would trade the shell," Sigurdsson added. "Coconut [octopuses] are famous for being very picky about which shells they keep, so we had to try with many different shells before it found one to be acceptable."
Coconut octopuses typically use coconut or clam shells as protective shelters, but the growing tide of ocean pollution is disrupting this instinct.
The video highlights a persistent problem. Plastic can linger for years in marine environments, where it does not break down well and threatens countless sea creatures.
The heartwarming rescue has captivated viewers around the world.
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"This is one of the most beautiful things that I have ever seen. So touching. Cuteness of the little one and [the] beautiful act of kindness of the divers — it's a perfect combination," one commenter wrote.
"This makes me feel simultaneously super proud of humanity and melancholy at the same time," another said. "The divers are great people and do their best to fix ecological hiccups from littering into the ocean with our trash."
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