Diver 'Heartbroken' as Stingray Preys on Octopus Protecting Its Eggs

A diver from Victoria, Australia, shared “heartbreaking” footage of the fate suffered by an octopus she had been visiting for “many months”, as it was preyed upon by a stingray.

Diver Jules Casey shared footage of the octopus and its unfortunate fate to Instagram on June 19, with the post also featuring a close-up view of the eggs the octopus had been protecting in the waters of Port Phillip Bay.

“For many months I visited this pale octopus several times a week. Occasionally I’d bring her gifts for her to explore,” Casey wrote. She said that since the octopus had “produced eggs” she’s kept her “distance” during her dives as the mollusc “needed all her energy to care for her eggs.”

Sadly, when she went to check on the octopus during a recent morning dive, Casey discovered a huge stingray had found her.

“The stingray was relentless in its efforts to try and blast my favourite octopus from her den. This went on for hours. I watched helplessly for an hour before running out of air,” she wrote.

Pre-empting queries from fans of her Instagram page (where Casey boasts more than 100,000 followers), she said, "Why didn’t I help her?? Nature can be cruel and it wasn’t my place to interfere, the stingray needs to eat….as heartbreaking as this was I couldn’t help her.

“She could have left her den to save herself but chose to stay to protect her eggs, her selfless act cost her her life. I went back later that afternoon and quite a few of her eggs remained undamaged but without her constant care may not survive.” Credit: Jules Casey via Storyful