Unique images captured on the UK coast show an octopus "hitching a ride" clinging to the fin of a Risso's dolphin. The phenomenon, known as phoresy, occurs when one organism attaches to another to move around, and was recorded by amateur photographers in British waters.
The images also reveal a population explosion of octopuses in UK waters, which explains the frequency with which these unusual encounters are being documented. The octopuses appear to take advantage of the dolphins' passage to travel without effort.
Bill Coulson, a volunteer with the Risso's Dolphin Project South West, was one of the photographers who managed to capture the moment. The project is dedicated to the study and monitoring of Risso's dolphins in the southwest region of the UK.
This type of photographic record contributes to scientific knowledge about the behaviour of these species and the interactions occurring in British waters, allowing researchers to document rare phenomena such as phoresy.
