My first time I used new my underwater camera housing was in Jávea, España last fall and it was an incredible day. After 45 minutes of snorkeling in 3 meters of water testing and fumbling with the camera settings, I became tired and started to head back to shore. A few minutes later, I observed a movement that was inconsistent with the current. Upon closer inspection, that movement was an octopus, the very first once I ever saw in the wild!

It was an unforgettable experience and that was primarily due to the octopus. Upon sharing the photo with friends a few of them suggested that I read Sy Montgomery's "The Soul of an Octopus" so I did. That engaging and informative book taught me many things, one of which is that each octopus has their own distinct personality. Some are shy and others are playful and curious. Fortunately for me, the octopus that I saw that day in Jávea was playful and curious and stayed with me for a full 45 minutes before I lost sight of him for the final time. It changed colors from a dark brown to a milky white a few times, altered its skin texture and moved about swimming and doing octopus stuff. I must confess that I felt a very real connection with this creature not unlike my connections with the Brown bear in Alaska and the Penguin in Antarctica. It's difficult to completely describe it but I call it a non-verbal sense of mutual understanding. Somehow, they understand that I mean them no harm and seek to interact with them from a safe distance.

That was the day I decided that I wouldn't eat octopus anymore.

Making an unforgettable day even more special, my image Octopus Vogue went on to earn two photography awards: The Federation of European Photographers - 2026 FEP Awards Wildlife category top 10 Finalist and The Arcadian Gallery International Nature Photography Competition Aquatic Life Winner 2026.

So you can imagine what my focus for the summer would be here in Toulon, France. It was definitely going to be the summer of the Octopus.

My father-in-law and wife prefer a beach closer to our apartment for the daily swim but I grew tired of the limited opportunities to observe undersea wildlife so I began exploring other beaches such as La Mitre. A mere 15 minutes walk with my 20kg of gear in my backpack is less convenient but it has proved more rewarding photographically.

Normally, I snorkel for about 45-60 minutes each time and I am starting to see a pattern of good things happening on my way back to the beach. On this day, I remember popping my head up above the surface after being slightly startled by a snorkeler in the water nearby. Speaking in French, he asked if I had seen an octopus that day. I replied, "No, but I saw one yesterday." He smiled and asked, "Would you like to see one?"I nodded.

Without another word, he slipped beneath the surface. Curious, I followed—and within seconds I was astonished to discover a juvenile octopus clinging to his chest. It was one of those completely unexpected moments that make every dive unforgettable. See the image below.

Full of excitement and adrenaline - without panicking - I positioned myself for a few shots although the angle of the light wasn't optimal. It seems as though my French is improving because I asked him to remove the octopus so I could get a few more images of it swimming before my battery died. That's when he took the octopus off his chest and tried to release it but it seemed reluctant to leave him. Octopus are very sensitive animals and hen an octopus touches your body, it's doing something we can't—it is both feeling and tasting you at the same time. Every sucker acts like a tiny combination of a fingertip and a tongue, helping the octopus decide whether you're food, friend, foe, or simply something fascinating to investigate.

Frankly, I don't need an octopus on my chest, I would much rather be behind the camera capturing images and videos. Maxime and I are becoming friends and we search for octopus once a week in the waters off la Mitre beach.

Enjoy the video of my new friend Maxime and the octopus!

If you prefer to view the images from the Bajo del Mar gallery now instead of later, here's a link to the gallery on my website - please enjoy and share with your friends and family!

It didn't take me long to realize that there are limitations to searching for Octopus in 3 or 4 meters of water with only a snorkel and mask. Last April, I became scuba certified at the entry level of Open Water Diver and have been scuba diving this summer to gain more experience. I found a dive shop in the small town of Saint-Mandrier-sur-Mer across the harbor from Toulon and I have happily completed 4 dives this summer with 4 more on the schedule before I return home at the end of the month. The goal is to be certified as an Advanced Open Water Diver but there were availability issues here so I booked a weekend class in Valencia in September.

The Advanced Open Water Diver certification gives me the flexibility to dive up to 30 meters and with a qualified buddy instead of a dive instructor and this is what I need to continue meeting other octopus in other destinations. After this, I may want to consider getting a night diver certification because that's when they typically more active while hunting crabs and that means another investment in underwater lighting.

I currently know of 3 active octopus dens and have become much better at locating them. Some clues are finding small clusters of rocks near a crevice on a large rock or fresh crab or mollusk shells scattered about. Sometimes, they curl up with the pink underside of the tentacles exposed so a visual scan for unique colors also helps.

Join my Collectors List and receive early access to my new releases plus the Tripod Traveler blog so that I can keep you personally informed about my work in a way that's more personable and reliable than social media. My mission is to bring tranquility and joy into your home with captivating nature photography. A selection of specially curated images are offered on my website and can be shipped tariff-free to the US, Canada, UK, and Europe with ease. maxdobens.com

While scuba diving with 2 others and an instructor, I saw a movement to my left that caught my eye and it turned out to be an octopus sticking his head out of his den. As I approached, I instinctively switched my camera from photo to video.

And so I leave you with my first octopus video and I captured it at a depth of 12 meters while scuba diving in Anse de San Peyre. Watch as the skin morphs in and out of different shapes and textures as well as changing colors. I will admit that I have watched this at least 10 times, each time focusing on a different aspect of this fascinating creature.