Cute stuff. A piglet and a kitten ... “A large metallic grey dorsal fin signaled a big shark, a short-fin mako. But wait, what was that orange patch on its head? A buoy? An injury?

Researchers in New Zealand saw a colorful blob on top of a shark’s head. When they looked closer, they realized it had eight arms. By Melissa Hobson When she spotted the mako shark in the ...

That wasn’t the case for this octopus. In 2023, scientists spotted an eight-armed cephalopod riding on a 10-foot mako shark—and their video of the bizarre journey is now available to view.

The mako shark she saw swimming near the surface wasn’t unusual on its own—but the giant orange patch on its head was. “At first, I was like, ‘Is it a buoy?’” says Constantine to ...