Have you ever wondered what it’d be
like to fight an octopus to the death?
Grab your scuba gear because
we’re plunging headfirst into
Coming in swinging with not two
but eight arms,
These otherworldly creatures are
proud members of the
cephalopod family,
alongside squids and cuttlefish.
Octopuses are invertebrates,
meaning they don't have backbones.
These cold-blooded creatures have
bodies made of 90% muscle.
And although our first competitor
is spineless,
literally,
that doesn’t mean it's backing out
of this battle.
Octopuses are known to outwit
predators like seals,
stingrays and even sharks.
But can it really take on
our next fighter?
Our next competitor hardly
needs an introduction.
otherwise known as you!
We may not be able
to live underwater,
but that hasn’t stopped us from
exploring our planet’s oceans.
And we've gotten
pretty good at it too.
The deepest recorded human free dive
reached 214 m (702 ft),
compared to the average diver's dip
maxing out at about 6 m (20 ft).
And believe it or not,
it's not our first time in the ring
with the octopus.
During the 1950s and 60s,
competitors at Tacoma, U.S.A
grabbed octopuses from the sea
and tried to strongarm them to the
shore for entertainment.
Ha! Humans fighting wild animals
all for the amusment of strangers.
I can’t believe we used to do that.
Octopuses come in all
shapes and sizes,
so we made sure to find
the biggest one.
At a staggering 272 kg (600 lb),
the Pacific octopus outweighs
most of us.
This oversized octopus has a
long reach to boot,
measuring up to 9 m (30 ft).
If we compare that to the average
human’s measly height
of 1.5 to 1.8 m (5-6 ft),
it looks like winning is just out of
well you get it.
The octopus wrangles the win
for Round 1!
Humans are capable of
incredible strength.
With dedication and proper training,
you could even beat the world
deadlift record!
The current champ is Lithuanian
powerlifter Zydrunas Savickas,
who once lifted 524 kg (1,155 lb).
Responding to a life or death
situation can lead to
superhero strength too.
But could a burst of adrenaline
or physical training be enough to take
down our cephalopod opponent?
A giant Pacific octopus can lift
16 kg (35 lb) with a single suction cup.
Now multiply that by nearly 300.
Yup, this sea monster has
And though your arms may be strong,
keep in mind the octopus
has seven more,
not to mention all those suckers.
Now that’s what I call a sucker punch.
The octopus takes Round 2!
Don’t give up just yet!
Our final round is all
about brain power.
Luckily for you,
humans are near the top of the list
for intelligence.
With your ability to use tools
and the environment
to protect yourself,
you'd likely be able to defend yourself
from the octopus or
swim away in time.
Boasting nine brains,
your octo opponent is
pretty clever too.
And since they aren't
aggressive creatures,
the octopus might drop out of the
fight altogether.
Whats this?
The Pacific octopus forfeits!
The human wins!
Want more subaquatic-smackdowns?
Feeling bitter about tonight's
surprise defeat,
the octopus is setting off to
seek out another fight.
And what's this?
It's spotted an opponent,
the great white shark!
We'll see who wins
on another round of VS.