The Stony Eyes

The shore was a rocky cliff. We had to climb over and down to reach the water. From above, the water was crystal clear. What an amazing spot.

My buddy and I prepared for the day. We put on our suits, checked our snorkelling gear, and got ready. With the underwater camera, we jumped from a rock. From the surface, we could already see plenty of marine life going about its daily routine. We circled a few times, taking in the scenery.

Then I signalled to my buddy and dove a few metres to explore a rock below. There were a few cavities, and I looked inside, trying to find something within. Then I surfaced to breathe. Something suddenly crossed my mind. That last cavity looked strange. I had to see it again.

After a few breathing exercises to relax, I made a second attempt. Duck dive, a fin kick, and there I was in front of the cavity. There was a small rock inside. The rock looked like a normal rock. But something was out of place. What was it? Then I saw it. The rock had eyes. Real eyes. And they moved.

I moved a little sideways, trying to change my viewing angle. And then I got a glimpse. Behind the small rock was a small octopus, hiding and disguised in the same colour as the stone. The octopus seemed to realise that I had spotted it and slowly moved out of the cavity and swam away. All I could do was try to get a shot with my camera while the octopus disappeared into the blue.