A fisherman in the Philippines narrowly escaped a suffocating grip when an octopus attached itself to his face. The incident occurred last month near Puerto Princesa Island in Palawan.
Jesser Cervantes was on a small wooden boat when he reeled in the creature. The octopus then unexpectedly clamped onto his face, with its suckers covering his mouth and preventing him from breathing freely. Footage shows Cervantes struggling to remove the marine animal as its tentacles spread across his head.
To free himself from the octopus's powerful hold, Cervantes used a piece of cut bamboo to repeatedly strike the creature. He described the octopus as being difficult to handle and said it "almost ripped my face."
After eventually loosening its grip, Cervantes released the octopus back into the ocean. Octopuses are known for their intelligence, strong suckers, and flexible bodies, which allow them to cling firmly to surfaces and prey. Each sucker functions as an independent vacuum seal, making them challenging to detach without significant force.