Videos featuring fishermen Clarence Tamula and Jesser Cervantes from Puerto Princesa City, Palawan, have captured online attention as they depict octopuses latching onto their faces. The clips have sparked debates about authenticity, with some viewers questioning whether the encounters were staged.
Fishermen Share Painful Experiences
It really hurts. It feels like it’s sucking on your skin. Your face also turns red.
Clarence Tamula, Fisherman
In the footage, both fishermen struggle to detach the octopuses, which cling tightly with their powerful suction cups. Clarence shared that the experience was incredibly painful, while Jesser noted that the grip became more intense the longer the octopus remained attached.
- Clarence used a stick to remove an octopus from his face.
- Jesser applied a paddle to loosen the grip of his octopus.
Despite being content creators, the fishermen clarified that the incidents were unplanned. They often share videos of their octopus fishing trips, explaining that catching octopuses has become a side job due to the high costs of fishing for other species.
Jesser remarked, 'Catching fish can be quite expensive, so we join larger fishing boats to catch octopuses.' Both men emphasized that the octopus latched onto Clarence spontaneously.
During their hunting trips, they sometimes weaken the octopus by biting its head, but some octopuses retaliate, leading to unexpected encounters like those captured in the viral videos.
The octopus, a creature with eight arms lined with hundreds of suction cups, possesses a unique nervous system. Notably, two-thirds of its neurons are in its arms, allowing for independent movement. This may explain their strong grip when threatened.