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A video reported by Digital Camera World shows an octopus holding and moving an Insta360 X5 while a snorkeler appears among its arms in the recorded view. The unusual perspective comes down to how a 360 camera works: it records all around itself, letting someone choose the view later. The footage is a striking example of that flexibility, not proof that the octopus understood the camera or deliberately made a selfie.
What happens in the octopus camera video?
Digital Camera World reported on October 2, 2026, that the underwater video was shared on social media by Konstantinos Mousis and later picked up by Insta360. The outlet identifies the camera as an Insta360 X5. In the footage as described by the report, the octopus holds the camera as it moves, and its arms appear around the snorkeler in the final view.
The original social post was not independently authenticated in the reporting available here, so the camera identification and account of the event should be understood as Digital Camera World’s report. The video is entertaining, but it does not establish why the animal grabbed or carried the camera.
How could an octopus frame a shot with a 360 camera?
A conventional camera records the direction its lens is pointed. A 360 camera captures the view around the camera, so the person editing the footage can later reframe it to show a chosen direction. The final image can therefore look as if someone deliberately aimed the camera at a subject, even when no one was operating it that way during recording.
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That explains how the X5 footage can show the snorkeler surrounded by the octopus’s arms: the camera’s all-around capture preserves the scene, and the view can be selected afterward. Adam Juniper, Digital Camera World’s 360 camera expert, described the benefit this way: “The magic of this is that you don’t need to point the camera when you’re capturing any action.”
Did the octopus make a selfie?
The footage may look like an underwater selfie, but the available account does not show that the octopus intended to create one or understood what the camera was. Curiosity is one possible explanation, not an established motive. It is more accurate to say the animal’s handling of the camera produced a remarkable view than to claim it planned the shot.
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- Triple AI Chip Design, Better Low Light: Shoot confidently even in challenging lighting. X5’s triple AI chip design powers advanced noise reduction and image processing, delivering crisp, vibrant footage even in dim or night conditions.
- Invisible Selfie Stick: Create impossible third-person views with no selfie stick in sight! Capture everything in 360°, then choose your angles later using AI-assisted reframing—perfect shots, every time.
- InstaFrame Mode: Get a ready-to-share flat video instantly. Choose auto-framing to let the camera track you, or lock in a fixed angle. Preview the 360° video later to add in any unexpected moments, too.
- FlowState Stabilization + 360° Horizon Lock: No gimbal needed. X5’s FlowState Stabilization and full 360° Horizon Lock deliver buttery-smooth, level footage, even during action-packed moments, bumps, or full rotations.
Is the Insta360 X5 suitable for underwater 360 video?
Insta360 advertises the X5 as waterproof to 15 m (49 ft). That rating does not remove a specific challenge with underwater 360 capture: the manufacturer warns that the difference between water’s and air’s refractive indices can cause stitching problems, where the camera’s views are combined. Insta360 recommends its Invisible Dive Case for underwater shooting. Digital Camera World’s report does not establish whether the camera in the clip had a case.
For owners using the X5 in seawater, Insta360’s care instructions say to rinse it with fresh water, soak it in fresh water for 5–10 minutes, then dry it with a soft cloth and let it air-dry. The camera’s surface should be dry before removing the battery or other parts. These are the manufacturer’s specifications and instructions, not independent test results.
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- Triple AI Chip Design, Better Low Light: Shoot confidently even in challenging lighting. X5’s triple AI chip design powers advanced noise reduction and image processing, delivering crisp, vibrant footage even in dim or night conditions.
- Invisible Selfie Stick: Create impossible third-person views with no selfie stick in sight! Capture everything in 360°, then choose your angles later using AI-assisted reframing—perfect shots, every time. *Invisible Selfie Stick sold separately.
- InstaFrame Mode: Get a ready-to-share flat video instantly. Choose auto-framing to let the camera track you, or lock in a fixed angle. Preview the 360° video later to add in any unexpected moments, too.
- FlowState Stabilization + 360° Horizon Lock: No gimbal needed. X5’s FlowState Stabilization and full 360° Horizon Lock deliver buttery-smooth, level footage, even during action-packed moments, bumps, or full rotations.
Have octopuses taken cameras before?
Camera-grabbing octopuses are not entirely without precedent in news reports. In April 2010, CBS News reported Victor Huang’s account of an octopus taking his camera while it was recording off Wellington, New Zealand. That earlier anecdote offers context, but it does not explain the behavior in the 2026 video.
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- Triple AI Chip Design, Better Low Light: Shoot confidently even in challenging lighting. X5’s triple AI chip design powers advanced noise reduction and image processing, delivering crisp, vibrant footage even in dim or night conditions.
- Invisible Selfie Stick: Create impossible third-person views with no selfie stick in sight! Capture everything in 360°, then choose your angles later using AI-assisted reframing—perfect shots, every time. *Invisible Selfie Stick sold separately.
- InstaFrame Mode: Get a ready-to-share flat video instantly. Choose auto-framing to let the camera track you, or lock in a fixed angle. Preview the 360° video later to add in any unexpected moments, too.
- FlowState Stabilization + 360° Horizon Lock: No gimbal needed. X5’s FlowState Stabilization and full 360° Horizon Lock deliver buttery-smooth, level footage, even during action-packed moments, bumps, or full rotations.
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