Jesser Cervantes just wanted to fish near Puerto Princesa Island, in Palawan, Philippines.
On July 10, something clung to his face and had no intention of letting go. An octopus wrapped its eight arms around his head, its suckers stuck to his skin like rubber discs, and one of them ended up sealing his mouth shut. Cervantes tried to peel them off one by one, without success. He had to grab a piece of bamboo and repeatedly strike the animal until he managed to loosen its grip.
“The octopus I caught was very difficult to handle. It almost tore my face apart”, he said after returning it to the water and catching his breath. According to his explanation, this type of struggle is more common than it seems: many octopuses react the same way as soon as they are caught, clinging on with the same force they use to hold onto rocks.