Seal slaps kayaker across the face with live octopus (VIDEO)
Kyle Mulinder was filming a spot of leisurely sea-kayaking offshore New Zealand’s idyllic South Island when a hangry local slapped him straight across the face – with a fresh octopus.
“After a fun paddle around the peninsula catching waves we spotted a giant male seal fighting an octopus,” Mulinder wrote on Instagram. “Before we knew it the fight came to us and well the rest is slap to the face. I’m not sure who got more of a surprise the seal, the octopus or me.”
The once-in-a-lifetime event was thankfully captured by Taiyo Masuda, a content creator who works closely with GoPro (who kindly provided a slow mo version of the hilarious hit). Understandably, the video has become a viral sensation.
The irate swimmer was a New Zealand fur seal, one of many that live off the coast of Kaikoura on the South Island. Fresh octopus forms a huge part of these seals’ diet, though mealtime can be a bit chaotic and very messy, as Mulinder and co. discovered.
The seals dive down, select their dinner, and then drag it to the surface, thrashing it about to break off bite-sized chunks. Mulinder just happened to be in the direct path of a particularly messy eater.
“Either way the octopus held onto the bottom of kayak for some time before our guide was able to get it off with his paddle then it swam away to fight another day,” Mulinder added. “True story.”
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