Scientists aboard the exploration vehicle Nautilus went giddy when they spotted a rare and undeniably cute deep-sea creature: a dumbo octopus. The deep-sea ROV (remotely operated vehicle) got some great visuals of the unique cephalopod, which has “adorable ear-like fins” that resemble Dumbo the animated elephant from the Disney movie.
Videos by Outdoors
“Oh, there’s the octopus! There it is!” said one excited scientist as soon as they spotted it.
“We’ve all been waiting for this,” says another. “This is the moment.”
“I’m shaking,” someone chimes in as the others giggle. “It’s like meeting a celebrity.”
“While diving on an Unnamed Seamount West of Babeldaob near the #PalauNationalMarineSanctuary, #ROVHercules happened upon this extra-leggy #dumbooctopus (#Cirroteuthis)—a #deepsea #cephalopod known for its adorable ear-like fins,” wrote Nautilus Live in an Instagram video sharing the adorable footage.
Watch (and listen) and scientists come across a deep-sea octopus and can’t hide their excitement: