Bald eagle seconds away from becoming dinner for octopus
- 5 years ago
VANCOUVER ISLAND, CANADA — A bald eagle who almost became the main course for a hungry octopus off the coast of Vancouver Island will luckily live to fly another day after the intervention of some Canadian salmon fishermen.
According to CNN, the group was on the way back to their float house when they heard screeching and splashing sounds last Monday.
According to salmon farmer John Ilett, the guys found "a full-sized eagle submerged in the water with a big giant octopus in the water trying to drag it down."
The fishermen had a front row seat to mother nature for about five minutes as they went back and forth on whether or not they should intervene.
Ilett said, "we weren't sure if we should interfere because it is mother nature, survival of the fittest. But it was heart wrenching — to see this octopus was trying to drown this eagle."
The salmon fishermen maneuvered their boat closer, so Ilett could reach out with a pole.
He was able to use the pole to latch onto the octopus and give it a bit of a tug, which then caused it to release its death grip on the eagle.
The eagle then hightailed it over to the shore as quickly as possible, while the octopus disappeared back down into the water.
The men didn't see how the eagle got all wrapped up, but Ilett guesses our feathery friend tried to grab the octopus out of the water, but then became prey himself.
Guess that's what you call biting off more than you can chew.
According to CNN, the group was on the way back to their float house when they heard screeching and splashing sounds last Monday.
According to salmon farmer John Ilett, the guys found "a full-sized eagle submerged in the water with a big giant octopus in the water trying to drag it down."
The fishermen had a front row seat to mother nature for about five minutes as they went back and forth on whether or not they should intervene.
Ilett said, "we weren't sure if we should interfere because it is mother nature, survival of the fittest. But it was heart wrenching — to see this octopus was trying to drown this eagle."
The salmon fishermen maneuvered their boat closer, so Ilett could reach out with a pole.
He was able to use the pole to latch onto the octopus and give it a bit of a tug, which then caused it to release its death grip on the eagle.
The eagle then hightailed it over to the shore as quickly as possible, while the octopus disappeared back down into the water.
The men didn't see how the eagle got all wrapped up, but Ilett guesses our feathery friend tried to grab the octopus out of the water, but then became prey himself.
Guess that's what you call biting off more than you can chew.